The Last Knight
by Professor Bats
Summary: "You know something about that ship out there, don't you?" Shiro spoke evenly, careful to keep his voice non-confrontational. He didn't want Coran to feel threatened, but he needed to know what the three of them were possibly walking into. He needed to know what Coran didn't feel comfortable saying in front of Allura. Shiro/Oc, bisexualShiro
1. Chapter 1

"I'm picking something up. It's faint, but steady, like a signal." Pidge's voice was tinged with excitement as the Green Paladin interrupted the view of the control window to share their findings.

"Pidge, stop doing that. I can't see." Lance's voice betrayed his irritation. Shiro, in some way, understood. The teens continued proximity to one another was wearing on them.

What the kids had initially accepted as a grand adventure had quickly devolved into a stifling sort of boredom. Even learning the layout of the Castle Ship and attempting to master forming Voltron did little to alleviate the feeling of being trapped.

"But guys, it's something. Just look, okay?"

"It's probably just a pulsar or something." Keith was leaning as far back as he could in his seat, staring solidly at the ceiling. Shiro frowned, eyeing the data that Pidge had shared on the screen.

It didn't seem quite right for a pulsar; if it had been, the rhythm of the rotating neutron star would be consistent and steady as it released radiation into the space around it.

But there was something else behind it; the faintest rise of frequency after the initial radiation blast, much like the lines on a heart rate monitor would rise and fall. It would be possible, on a reach, that the signal came from a binary system with two pulsar's rotating at different rates, but it was highly unlikely.

Shiro frowned, casting a glance over at Coran to try to guess the redhead's thoughts. His face was calm, though pale as his fingers flew over the control panel before him.

"I don't think it's a pulsar." Shiro said after a moment, causing Keith to sit up and glare at him.

"Shiro's right." Coran said after a moment, casting an apprehensive look at Allura, who stood at the controls, her hands engulfed in silver-white light.

Her wide, blue eyes were fixed on the screen before her, scanning the data Pidge had provided as a smile crept across her face.

"It's an Altean signal." She said, her voice laced with hope. She rocked up and down excitedly on the balls of her feet.

Coran and Shiro exchanged a glance; it physically hurt to see her that hopeful, especially knowing full well the likelihood of any surviving members of the Altean species was so low.

"Wait, how do we know it's not one of Zarkon's traps?" Hunk's voice was a cautious foil to Alluras. Shiro found himself quietly thankful that the boy had spoken; he was growing tired of being the bearer of bad news to the group, and it was difficult to resent Hunk with his easy, amicable nature.

Coran leaned forward, rubbing his chin in thought before pressing a spot on the screen.

A grainy, old video transmission filled the chamber, reminding Shiro of the old archival footage of war films.

"Is it on?" An Altean man with shoulder length silver hair appeared on the screen. He was, by all standards, exquisitely handsome, with piecing green eyes and warm, brown skin that was somewhat dulled by the age of the transmission.

Shiro swallowed hard as he watched the man's lips move, just slightly out of synch with the video.

"To any ships picking up on this signal, we are in desperate need of help. We have been-:" There was a burst of static, and the picture came back, looking darker and grainer than before.

"I am Algoma, third in command of Altean Convoy ON-92. We managed to slip the Galra blockade on Altea just in time, however we…" He trailed off, his eyes shifting downward, this, white lashes veiling his eyes.

"I don't know how much time we have left." A womans voice was whispering as the camera panned around the room, as if she were gesturing.

In the darkness of the transmission, Shiro could make out the bodies of crewmembers slumped over their control panels, each seemingly surrounded in a gut-wrenching halo of darkness Shiro recognized from his time in Zarkon's Arena.

"We are altering the mission, and hopeful that help will come quickly. Onara, over here." The camera panned to Algoma, who looked dazed and disheartened. "We're low on power, and it's getting dark inside the ship. We're cutting power to bare minimum; just life support. We need backup to arrive quickly. We were compromised and now Ingham and Gleaves are both dead, as well as the crew. I'm taking the remaining Knights and their seconds and placing them in their pods for deployment."

He inhaled, squaring his shoulders and looking directly at the camera one last time. There was a gravity in his expression that made Shiro's heart leap into his throat, green eyes seeming to meet each of the Paladins in turn.

Shiro wanted the break the gaze, his heart hammering against his ribs and his stomach fluttering, but he couldn't look away from the handsome Altean.

"We will be concealing ourselves close to the Atlantig nebula in the hopes the radiation will replenish our power in the absence of our crystal. This will be our final transmission. In the name of King Alfor, I wish you all farewell."

The transmission ended and Shiro found that he had, at some point, forgotten to breath.

Regaining his composure, he dared a glance over at Coran and Allura.

Coran was pale as he looked down at the console, his palms resting heavily on the corners as he seemed to be propping himself up. His eyes were glassy, his brows knit in an expression of grief.

Allura swayed on the spot, withdrawing her hands from the navigation podiums.

"Please excuse me." She said, her voice brimming with a tense composure, before turning and leaving the room, a deep and tangible feeling of grief in her wake.

Lance almost said something, but Shiro shot each of the kids a warning glance. He himself had a million questions, but held his tongue.

It felt like he had been bereft of something he never had in the first place.

There had been a great deal unsaid in the transmission, though heavily implied, and that Coran fully understood the implications.

"What the f-"

"Keith." Shiro cut him off before the boy could finish the word. Coran sighed and sat back, running his fingers through his hair, visibly agitated.

"So…what do we do now?" Pidge said after a moment. Shiro sighed. He couldn't win with these kids.

Coran hesitated a moment, inhaling deeply as he recovered his composure.

"We wait for the Princess to recover, and then we investigate the situation."

* * *

Authors Note: So I thought I would cross post this from my AO3 account to see if it lights a fire under my butt to finish it.

Basically, this is a fix fic from Voltron. It has Oc's. Shiro is bisexual. Adam doesn't get killed off before we can see his personality. We acknowledge abuse and manipulation. There's a tiny bit more science and less rambling of space-words, Allura doesn't do the thing, etc, etc.

My friends and I were...**pretty disgusted** with the last few seasons of Voltron. So we're making our own version. I kinda want to include my friends oc, Aranea, whomst is a badass shitlord.


	2. Chapter 2

The darkened hull of the Atean craft drifted, inert, before the view screen of the Castle Ship.

No one dared break the silence, the tension nearly palpable as all eyes tracked the movement of the blackened and battered vessel that drifted slowly before them.

Shiro found himself holding his breath as he waited for Coran or Allura to say something that would break the silence. It felt as though an interruption from anyone else would have been grossly inappropriate.

"It is still giving off an energy signal..." Coran's tone was uncharacteristically heavy, his brow furrowed as he looked down at the console before him. "We're lucky we picked it up at all."

"But how long do you think it's been out here?" Pidge was the first of the Paladins to speak, causing Allura to tense ever-so-slightly. Shiro shot the kid a warning look, but this only served to harden the Green Paladin's resolve. Pidge knit her brow, returning Shiro's frown in a way that reminded him so much of Matt that it felt like a punch to the gut. "It can't have been out here the whole time. Wouldn't the Galra have found it by now?"

"Not necessarily." Coran said, inhaling cautiously. "With the pulsar masking its signature, it's entirely possible it _has_ been out here since the destruction of Altea, thought the odds of that are highly unlikely. In the transmission, Ser Algoma mentioned the conversion pulsar's radiation into fuel, but…without a functioning crystal…"

"What are the odds that more Alteans survived? That there are more of us?" Allura said, her voice measured with a precise control that was very nearly at its breaking point. "And even if some of them did manage to escape…it's been ten thousand years. Is it even possible?"

"Impossible? Or improbable, Princess?" Lance said, leaning back with a slight smile. Shiro inhaled sharply, feeling the tug of second-hand embarrassment in the pit of his stomach.

"Lance…"

"What, I'm just saying that…I mean…If Coran and Allura managed to…" The teen gestured vaguely before falling into an awkward silence. "Forget it. The Princess is probably right."

Shiro had to give him credit; Lance had been trying, in his own awkward way, to reassure Allura that all hope might not be lost. But it was just that; awkward. And perhaps not the timeliest comment.

They all still barely knew the Alteans, and were just finally starting to get a handle on forming Voltron. They had only just managed to get a new crystal from the depths of the Balmera.

Shiro caught Coran's eye, the older man briefly avoiding his gaze. There was something he wasn't telling them, that he pointedly hadn't told them over the past few days, and it was something Coran was hesitant to say in front of Allura.

Coran's face was grim as he looked down at the console, the blue lights making his features look unusually gaunt.

"Well, it's worth a look, isn't it?" Shiro said, standing up. "If nothing else, we might be able to scavenge for parts. Coran, you know Altean technology. Would you mind coming with us. Keith? You're coming, too."

Keith sighed, but didn't protest as he stood up, grabbing his helmet from between his knees.

In silence, the three proceeded down the hallway. Shiro waited until the doors closed to the navigation room before he gestured for Keith to stop, effectively cornering Coran.

"You know something about that ship out there, don't you?" Shiro spoke evenly, careful to keep his voice non-confrontational. He didn't want Coran to feel threatened, but he needed to know what the three of them were possibly walking into. He needed to know what Coran didn't feel comfortable saying in front of Allura.

Coran hesitated, looking visibly bothered as he avoided the Black Paladin's gaze.

"In a way, yes…" The redhead's voice was measured as he visibly struggled to choose words. "Shortly after the rise of Zarkon, King Alfor hand-selected an elite group of soldiers to serve as guardians for the Voltron Lions, as well as potential mentors to future paladins. These became known as The Knights of Alfor."

"And…? So why didn't you want to say that in front of the princess?" Keith seemed to spit the words, and Shiro placed his hand calmly on the teenagers shoulder.

Coran lifted his eyes to meet Shiro's squarely. "When you five showed up, I assumed that the Knights convoy hadn't made it past the Galra blockade." He now looked at Keith, considering the teenager carefully from over the top of his thick moustache. "The Knights of Alfor were top secret. Only a select few close to the king knew of the operation. Ser Gleaves and Ingham were the Black and Red knights respectively. I knew them well and they were some of Altea's most trusted generals. In Ser Algoma's transmission, he implied that…something had gone wrong…"

"And?" Keith's eyes were narrow, intense. Shiro squeeze the teen's shoulder, urging the boy to ease up a little. It wasn't, after all, an interrogation, and Coran was offering up this information freely.

"It's an Altean ONS-92 Shuttle. As Ser Algoma mentioned, Ser Gleaves and Ser Ingham managed to slip the blockade with the rest of the knights… which means it could possibly still have its cargo." Coran continued, addressing Shiro directly as opposed to meeting Keith's accusative glare.

"The Knights?" Shiro clarified, feeling his own eyebrows raise involuntarily at the thought of untapped information. He wanted to know more about the Knights, about the men who were supposed to have guarded the lions, who were supposed to have protected and trained the Paladins.

"Or at least, what's left of them." Keith interrupted.

"Yes…I suppose… but… there is a narrow possibility they have been in stasis this whole time, much like the Princess and I, as Lance mentioned before."

Keith made a small, irritated noise at the mention of the Blue Paladin.

"Unlike the Castle of The Lions, they said their crystal was damaged, and Altean technology relies on Balmeran Crystals. Radiation energy is unstable and not suited well for situations like the Knights faced."

"I don't get it. Why didn't you want to say this in front of Allura? I mean if there's a chance of them being alive…" Keith's face was impassive, but there was an edge of excitement to his voice. Shiro always wondered how the kid managed to pretend to not care as much as he did.

"Because it is a narrow possibility at best, and that's being generous. And Allura hadn't been informed about the Knights. It was all very top secret, hush-hush." Coran said solemnly. "I ran a scan on the ship, and there are trace lifeforms aboard, but it's a faint signature and there's a high possibility it's nothing more than a few stray mice…" He trailed off, his eyes distant.

"There were five of them, along with the crew and support. Most of the crew knew that they would not survive to see Voltron rise again, but the Knights were the last hope to ensure the right paladins were found. Gleaves, Ingham, Algoma, Arvida, and Onara were the five original Knights… " The redhead trailed off, his eyes glassy from grief. These, Shiro understood, had been friends and companions. People Coran had known and trusted. People who had served Alfor and the Altean cause up until the end.

"So you didn't want to get Allura's hopes up." Shiro said evenly. He had to admit, even he felt a thrill of fear and excitement at the prospect of another Altean ally…

No, he couldn't get his own hopes up at well. If Coran was right, then it could be for nothing.

"I guess it doesn't hurt to check it out." Keith shrugged, but Shiro knew the boy well enough to detect the glimmer of hope, of excitement in his voice. Shiro nodded and the group descended to the hangar.

It didn't take them long to get coordinated, Coran suiting up quietly and quickly.

As the bay doors opened, Shiro couldn't help but feel the tug of fear as the vastness of space opened up before him, the freezing, creeping vacuum threatening to suck the three of them out into the void beyond if they even so much as made one misstep.

It was hard to take that first leap towards the darkened ship, tension and dread suddenly overtaking the Black Paladin as the hull loomed towards them. It was clear that over the years it had taken quite a beating; the presence of Galra damage underlying the pits and pocks from prolonged time drifting in that particular area of space.

"Don't get too close to the other side of that ship, the radiation from the pulsar could knock out your communication devices." Even over the headset, Allura's voice was tense. Her distress carried over to the trio, who each exchanged an anxious glance as Coran manually overrode an access hatch on the outside of the ship that let them into the airlock.

The entire ship gave a tremendous groan, pitching sideways just a little as the air within depressurized, loose dust and debris floating past them.

"Careful." Shiro could hear the echo of his own voice over the headset, feeling at though his teeth were being ground by sand as he activated the light on his bracer. The narrow beam shone down the dingy, ages-old hallway before the Black Paladin motioned for the three of them to proceed forward into the oppressive darkness.

Coran paused, sealing the hatch behind them and checking his data pad. "Well, the readings have changed a little, but they're still here. There's even still a little bit of gravity…"

"So where do we start?" Shiro scanned either side of the hallway with the narrow beam of blue-white light. It wasn't pristine like the Castle Ship had been. There were burn marks on the walls, loose wires hanging from the ceiling; there had been a fight here.

"This place looks like sh-"

"Kieth!"

"This way, come on." Coran gestured for them to follow.


	3. Chapter 3

The inside of the ship was eerily quiet, save for a few intermittent groans and hisses as the ship struggled to maintain itself, it's filtration system complaining violently as it kicked out stale, dusty air.

It felt nearly like they were entering a tomb as they pushed forward through the debris and decaying supply boxes, now laden with ten thousand years of dust from floating in space.

It seemed strange to Shiro; standard procedure for spacecraft on earth was to have them as sterile as possible to prevent contamination. Where would the dust be coming from? Had the particulate matter filters partially failed.

Nothing seemed to be adding up, only fueling the growing sense of dread in the pit of Shiro's stomach

None of them dared speak a word, a hushed silence falling on them as they pushed on past panels and wires that had fallen loose over the millennia.

Every so often, a pale blue light would flicker weakly, temporarily lighting up their path down the shabby hall like lightening on a stormy night. This only furthered to show the extent of the damage, wide arcs singed and cut into the sides of the hallway.

"I wonder what left these…" Keith's voice seemed distant, as if the closeness of the air muffled his speech.

Coran ran one gloved hand over the marks, his expression unreadable under his helmet.

"Let's keep moving. There should be a log in the cockpit that will give us more information." He said after a moment. Once again, Shiro couldn't hold back the thought that perhaps Coran was withholding information.

He knew something about this, and perhaps it was his remaining loyalty to the King of Altea that kept him from being forthcoming, but Shiro couldn't help but feel a degree of concern about this.

What if it put them all in danger? Would Coran knowingly do that?

The Altean's body language had changed dramatically from its usual frank openness. He seemed deeply uncomfortable, his brows knit in concentration, and a veiled look of horror crossing his features despite the relative calmness that he tried to put forth.

They turned the corner to find the cockpit door partially open, though it looked as though there had been a struggle. The viewscreen beyond was fogged with pits and pockmarks from where small debris had battered it over the years, but the inside of the viewscreen brought with it a fresh wave of horror and dread.

A three-foot long singed gash had nearly broken the screen, melting the several-inch thick synthetic material partially without breaking it all the way through.

A smattering of black fluid had dried surrounding it, and vaguely, Shiro could make out the slumped form of what appeared to be a partially-mummified Altean resting against the console, its head having fallen somewhere at its feet.

He recognized the scene from Ser Algoma's transmission, though with wasn't nearly as 'fresh'.

"What…happened here?" Keith's voice was hushed as he shone his light around the cockpit, stepping forward without thinking.

He nearly tripped, Shiro instinctively grabbing his arm to keep the boy upright. Slowly, the three of them looked down, a dusty, partially decomposed and mummified hand reaching out towards the cockpit.

The rest of the corpse had been covered in a tarp that was now also partially decomposed, clinging to the prone figure.

Keiths' dark eyes scanned the form, his face betraying his revulsion and horror.

Shiro's chest tightened as he looked around through the darkness and gloom, Coran crouching down beside the tarp and moving the sheet just enough to see the mummified arm beneath it.

His hands shook visibly as he lifted the sheet, drawing it back to reveal the dingy black and white armor that covered the corpse.

"It's Gleaves..." Coran's voice was barely audible as he replaced the sheet, his face pale in the dim light as he backed up against the scorched metal walls. "These burns on the walls look like they came from the Knights weapons, but it makes no sense…there's no sign of Galra on board, so they'd…be attacking each other…"

"Maybe they were." Shiro said, feeling his own voice falter a little as he looked down at the corpse of the man who was supposed to have been his mentor. "It's not uncommon for astronauts to suffer from forms of hysteria or dementia…"

"Not the Knights of Alfor." Coran's tone suggested he didn't quite believe himself. "These were elite soldiers, the most trusted of Alfor's forces."

"It's not impossible though. Maybe it was the crew that went nuts, since they were killed and the Knights weren't." Kieth said, stepping into the cockpit and shining his light at the deceased pilot to get a better look. "You said that the burns in the hallway came from the knights weapons. Well, look at this." The teen pointed at the corpse, along the section of the neck from where the head had been liberated.

"It's charred." Coran took a step back, hitting the console with his elbow. The entire ship heaved, giving a metallic groan as it suddenly sprang to life.

The lights of the cockpit slowly flickered on, flooding the dingy room with a watery sort of light.

The cockpit flickered and a grainy hologram of a familiar man with shoulder-length white hair and a goatee came into view.

He wore green and white armor, his face looking solemn as he seemed to stare at them.

"It's Ser Algoma…" Coran's voice was nearly a whisper as he took a step back.

"If you are watching this, it means that our mission has failed." Algoma spoke with a steady voice, his pale eyes seeming to pierce straight into Shiro's soul. His chest felt tight as he looked at the man in the transmission, his stomach twisting.

There was a thick sorrow to the Knight's voice, regret arching in a line on his brow.

"We managed to push through the Galra blockade surrounding Altea, however we were lead straight into a trap once we passed the fifth quadrant." He hesitated, glancing at someone who was speaking in the distance. "We haven't much time, but it would seem we were lead straight into the pryf's nest and were ambushed. Gleaves…"

"Hurry it up, he's breaking through!" The panicked voice of a woman, the same from the original transmission, interrupted Algoma.

For a brief moment, an Altean woman with long black hair backed into view, her armor identical to Algoma's, except in color. In her hands, she held something akin to a bayard, though it sparked and flickered with electricity, almost too bright for the sensors on the camera.

Algoma didn't hesitate, rising from his seat and falling in line beside the woman. For a brief moment, the screen was completely full of his broad back, the green of his cloak obscuring the field.

"We don't have much time. We need to break through and get into the pods." Another male voice called as Algoma stepped back, his own bayard now split into twin blades, one in each hand. The woman was leveling a glaive made out of the same sparking energy that Shiro now recognized as Quintessence.

Shiro caught a glimpse of the third knight; a tall, slim young man with a shock of red hair. His gold cloak spilled over his shoulders as he held his blades carefully, his feet falling into a perfect fencer's stance.

There was an explosion off screen and a great deal of yelling. The recorder fell over, capturing the scene sideways as the man Shiro could only assume was Gleaves broke through the door, rushing on the trio.

"Hold the line. HOLD THE LINE." Algoma's deep voice shook as he stepped back. The recorder went to static, before cutting out completely. The hologram disappeared completely, leaving Shiro, Coran, and Keith standing in shocked silence.

"Coran…I'm…" Shiro felt his words freezing in his throat. Nothing he could say could augment the gravity of what they just saw. It seemed as though the Knights had found themselves in a situation that they fought one another, but why?

"They wouldn't just turn on him like that…" Coran said, his voice low and shaky. "Gleaves…he was a good man. Loyal to Alfor…"

"We don't know the whole story." Shiro said calmly, knitting his brow and looking at the tarp-draped figure in the hallway. He couldn't help but wonder what could have transpired here ten thousand years ago, a knot forming in his throat at the memory of Algoma's face. "They said they needed to get to the pods…perhaps they made it."

"We should at least check it out." Keith said, glancing down the hallway with narrowed eyes.

Silently, Coran nodded, leading them down the burned corridor and opening the hatch to a separate chamber that almost appeared to be a heavily-armored cargo hold.

This one was dark, save for the dim glow of five separate panels, each radiating a pale blue light.

Five tanks stood before each panel, arranged around the chamber in a circle, surrounding a lowered panel on the floor that bore a familiar looking Altean symbol; the seal of King Alfor.

Coran paused at the door, shining his light on each stasis pod and exposing the Paladin symbol on each of them.

Shiro and Keith stepped forward into the room, a thrill of fear running down their spine as they approached the first tank; the Yellow Knight.

These pods stood larger than the ones Allura and Coran had been sealed in, heavily armored with their own thrusters and landing equipment, completely lacking the fogged, glass-like material that had decorated the ones aboard the Castle Ship. Each, after all, had been meant to make it to the final destinations of the Lions.

Shiro paused, glancing back at Coran, who nodded for him to proceed. Shiro had to fight back the feeling of dread that filled him as he placed his hand on the panel, using his gloved fingertips to work the sensitive screen.

A part of him knew what they would find before the pod was even completely open. There had been no hiss of pressurization as it opened, no indication that the pod had sealed properly.

Shiro moved in front of Keith to block the view of the body within. He knew Keith had probably seen worse, but that flair of paternal love moved Shiro almost on instinct alone.

As he suspected, what lay within was no longer tangibly Altean, a darkened husk, withered by time, resting hollowly against the stained padding of the pod, yellowed teeth bared as decayed lips pulled back into a grotesque grin.

It was a far cry from the fresh-faced young swordsman they had seen in the transmission, which somehow only magnified the shock of the situation.

Shiro closed the pod without waiting for further direction, turning wordlessly to the next pod. He didn't want to dare a glance back at Coran. He, in a way, knew the look that would sit on the redhead's face.

Instead it was Keith who glanced back for permission, his eyes wide with thinly veiled horror.

"Run a scan on each of the pods to check for any sign of life." Shiro said quietly, his voice steady and even despite the tightness in his chest. Keith nodded tapping the controls on his arm and bringing up a small holographic panel.

"Red is not showing any life signs..." Keith's voice seemed stifled by the oppressive atmosphere of the chamber.

"None in Green…None in Black…"

Shiro's heart was beating fast, almost as if he were about to have another panic attack. He put his hand to his chest as Keith's beam moved to the Black pod.

He glanced back at Shiro and shook his head. Part of Shiro wanted to tell the boy to stop. To turn back to the Castle and never look back on this ghost ship.

A dread was rising inside Shiro, making his arms feel like lead.

But something kept him rooted in place as Keith turned the scanner to the last pod. Each man held their breath as the narrow beam of light scanned up the front of the pod.

"There's...something..." Keith said after a moment. "They're alive..." His voice was quiet at first, turning back to look at Coran. "They're alive!"

Coran looked up, his face bright with hope as Keith moved towards the panel in front of the pod.

"Wait! Keith!"

It was too late.

There was a hiss of depressurization that filled the room with a white fog. Blue lights cut through the mist, casting an eerie glow throughout the chamber.

"Keith! Get back!"

Shiro could make out what appeared to be two eyes glowing a vibrant blue through the fog, Altean marks activated beneath them into a violent glare.

On their breast, shining like a star in the darkness, was a small, polished Balmera crystal.

The moment Shiro's eyes adjusted, he saw the figure lunge forward, an arc of Quintessence swinging through the air.

Shiro barely managed to pull Keith out of the way as the figure caught up with him, swinging wide around the path of the Quintessence blade.

His pulse rose and he fell into a crouching stance, activating his Galra arm.

The Knight raised the weapon, stabbing at him with the butt-spike. Shiro leaped back as the blade of the glaive swung down, meeting it with the palm of his Galra arm.

White light filled the chamber, followed by a shrill screech. Shiro grunted as heat ran down his arm and he leapt back, throwing the blade off of him as he moved backwards.

The Altean attacker used the blade as a leverage point, sinking it into the floor and using the centrifugal force to catch Shiro in the chest with their heavy, armor-clad boots, effectively causing him to lose his balance, falling backwards as his breath left his chest.

Shiro barely had time to catch himself on the front of the Blue pod before he saw the tip of the blade at his throat, the fog having receded fully. For a brief moment, Shiro was paralyzed, his mind reeling. It wasn't the same as in the arena. This felt entirely different.

Above him stood a tall Altean woman, her eyes fading from a violent blue glow to a soft grey-green. They were narrowed as she stared him down, fully prepared to end his life if she chose to.

Shiro fought to regain his breath, trying to force his body to move. To do anything. He was helpless beneath her, his mouth hanging open as he looked up at the ancient figure.

Keith stood behind the Knight, his bayard pressed firmly to the back of her head, buried in the thick, black waves that cascaded down her back.

"Stand down! We're Paladins of Voltron!" Keith's voice was clear and concise and dripping with anger as it rang out across the chamber.

The woman lowered her weapon, eyeing Shiro wearily before deactivating her blade. He saw her eyes move to his arm, her dark brows furrowing beneath her fringe bangs.

"Your arm. It's Galra…" It felt like her icy gaze was boring into the pit of Shiro's stomach.

"Drop it." Keith's voice was a low growl and the woman's eyes flicked briefly in the boy's direction.

"Keith..." Shiro finally managed to force his lungs to take in air, not wanting to make an enemy out of the woman. Reluctantly, her gloved fingers released the shaft of her weapon, letting it fall to the floor between Shiro's knees.

"Back away slowly."

"Keith…this isn't how we make friends." Shiro said, taking a moment to gather his wits. It felt like his muscles were beginning to relax and he closed his eyes, breathing in deep, slow breaths.

"Princess Allura, we found a survivor." Coran' voice shook a little, making the redheads transmission sound unusually choppy and labored. Or perhaps it was the sound of Shiro's own heartbeat within his ears.

The woman stood up fully, seemingly ignoring the threat that was Keith. She turned slowly to face the redhead, knocking Keith's arm away as dismissively as if he had been a child holding a toy.

Keith looked shocked and a little offended, exchanging a wordless look of disbelief with Shiro as the woman stepped away, her pale blue cloak floating ominously behind her.

"Coran?" Her voice was breathy and deep, though a bit throaty with disuse.

"Ah, good morning, Ser Onara. Or should I say afternoon…" Coran's voice settled onto one of a tense cheer as he stepped toward the group, his hands raised in a sign of peace and disarmament. "I uh…I believe we have some explaining to do. You've been asleep for quite a long time."

"I should believe so." She said, looking back Keith and cocking her head a little to consider the boy. After a moment, she turned back to Shiro before offering a hand. "My sincerest apologies… Paladins."

Shiro looked at her hand, blinking slowly before taking it as a sign of goodwill and pulling himself up.

"Coran? Coran?" Allura's voice was hushed, laced with an excited urgency over the headset. "Retrieve the survivor and return to the ship."

"Yeah, I can't wait to meet this guy!" Hunk's voice chimed in cheerily.

* * *

A/N: There's pictures of all of the knights on my deviantart (professor-bats) and art tumblr (professor-bats-art), as well as some general illustrations if you want to check them out. Warning; some mild spoilers for all this Knights of Alfor nonsense, but the Knights are fun to mess with/doodle.

Currently working out the backstory of the Knights with some friends in my spare time, which I don't have a lot of. I'm really excited they're making some Paiges/apprentices for the Knights. I've never had anyone make oc's for any of my stories outside of D&D campaigns, so I'm absolutely excited!


	4. Chapter 4

Shiro squared his shoulders, trying to relieve some of the tension locked between his shoulder blades. It was bad enough having Sendak as a prisoner aboard the ship, now adding another unexpected passenger would only serve to further complicate matters.

He was going to have a decent bruise on his chest, but Coran had scanned him and there would be no long-term damage from being kicked by the Blue Knight.

Shiro was glad that they had found a survivor aboard the ship. In fact, he could barely believe the odds. It seemed almost too coincidental, but then again, out here it seemed like anything could happen.

He couldn't help but feel an admitted disappointment, however, that it hadn't been Ser Algoma that had survived. He would have liked to have gotten to know him.

A survivor had certainly justified the side trip on their way back to the Balmera.

As Shiro approached the sitting area, he spotted the other paladins lingering outside the open door.

Inside, he could hear Coran and the Knight talking at length, the woman looking visibly troubled, her shoulders hunched. She looked pale and a little ill now that they were in better lighting, and was clearly suffering from shock as she gripped her own shoulders tightly.

Her face was blank, staring down at the floor mostly. She spoke little, only when asked questions or otherwise prompted.

Shiro didn't envy Coran for having to deliver the news of the fallen Altean race, of the Knight's impossibly long slumber, and the fate of her fallen comrades.

He only hoped that the Knight could provide more information on what, exactly, had happened aboard the crumbling Altean ship.

Keith and Lance were milling around outside the doorway, hands in their pockets as they tried to casually eavesdrop, while Pidge and Hunk were far more blatant in their attempts to spy on the Alteans.

Shiro gave them all an exasperated look as he approached, lingering near Pidge and Hunk.

"Any news yet?"

The two started, before giving him a guilty look. "We just wanted to see what the Knight looked like."

"Hmm." Shiro raised his eyebrow looking at Keith and Lance. "And you two?"

Keith shrugged, avoiding his gave. "I just wanted to see what these losers were up to."

"Hey!" Lance's ears flushed with indignation, before he shrugged. "Anyway, I wasn't expecting the Knight to be…you know…"

He gestured vaguely.

"No, Lance, I don't. Tell me. In detail." Pidge said sharply, her tone one of irritation.

"You know… a chick."

"Lance." Shiro sighed, trying not to show his annoyance. "If the Garrison can be headed by Admiral Sanda, then a woman can be a knight."

"Yeah, but Sanda is…you know…not" He gestured vaguely to the woman in the adjacent room.

"Not what, exactly?" Pidge's voice rose enough to draw attention to the group in the hall.

Shiro closed his eyes, inhaling deeply as Allura appeared in the hallway. She was toying nervously with her hair, her wide eyes excited and uncertain.

"Has Coran finished briefing the Knight?"

"Princess, there's uh…something you should know about your knight." Lance said, giving Shiro a cautious look. Shiro frowned, motioning for the Blue Paladin to hush.

"There's nothing wrong with the Knight."

"What? What is it?" Allura looked panicked for a moment.

"Lance is mad because the Knight's a girl." Hunk's voice was thick with amusement.

"Hunk, would you shut up! I'm not mad! Girls can be whatever they want…my sister is-"

"No one cares, Lance." Keith scoffed, crossing his arms.

"Keith!" Shiro sighed, feeling old beyond his years. Maybe it would be nice to have another adult on board the ship. Coran was good company, but a third would be helpful. "Look, I know this was unexpected, but I want you all to treat them with the same respect you'd show an officer of the Garrison…" He paused, looking at Keith, wondering if he should have phrased things better. "Or as you would treat a friend."

"Well, come in, all of you. Don't just lurk around outside like some kind of gornlongs." Coran called, his voice terse but cheery.

The kids each exchanged an excited glance before they piled into the room, standing around the Knight in a five-foot circle, each seeming to silently dare the others to get closer.

"This is Ser Onara, the Knight of The Blue Lion."

The woman rose to her feet, seeming to tower over the Paladins as she assessed each one with a calm, even gaze.

Shiro wondered for a moment if all Altean women had that kind of commanding presence…

She had an intelligent face with high cheekbones, her skin somewhere between Coran and Alluras in hue. Her hair was black, cut in a fringe across her brow, framing her stormy grey-green eyes and spilling down her back and over the blue cloak that hung from her broad shoulders.

"Hello, children. It is an honor to meet the new generation of Paladins." She put her hand over her heart, bowing her head respectfully. "It will be my sincerest honor to serve you in whatever means necessary."

"Uh, hey." Hunk raised his hand in a slight wave. "I'm uh, Hunk, this is Pidge. Lance. You've met Shiro and Keith."

"I swear I'm way cooler than he makes me sound." Lance said, raising both arms behind his head casually.

"I have no doubt." It was difficult to tell if Onara was being serious or not, causing Lance to cast a second look, his façade cracking a little.

Behind them, Allura cleared her throat and Ser Onara froze, raising her head, her eyes wide for a moment.

"Your Highness." The Knight dropped to one knee, taking her bayard from her hip and raising it to her chest in a sign of reverence. "My deepest apologies for my failure in the mission your father, may his soul rest eternal, laid out for me. If you see fit, I will bear any punishment you deem worthy…"

There was a terse silence that pressed in on them from all sides.

"Failure?" Allura's voice was gentle but strong as her brows knit. In moments like this, Shiro admired her for her leadership skills. He could tell the princess was heartbroken, but she hid it behind an eternal façade of calm charm and grace. "Tell me, Ser Knight, how have you failed?"

Ser Onara inhaled deeply. "In failing to reach the Blue Lion's position, in not being there in time to train the Paladin appropriately. In failure to follow protocol. In failure to my superiors."

"You have not failed, my good Knight, but have been delayed. We…the Paladins have much to learn from you."

Onara remained on her knee, Allura looking a bit uncomfortable and flustered.

"Please…rise and meet your Paladins." She stepped back, gesturing with a smile. "You have met Shiro, the Black Paladin, and Keith, the Red…"

"I'm Green." Pidge shrugged. "Hunk is Yellow, and Lance is Blue."

Onara rose, turning slightly to look at them all. There was a tiredness, a tension behind her eyes that Shiro understood; she was withholding a deep, unexpressed grief.

He couldn't help but feel empathy for her; he had been in that position often. Her eyes met his for just a moment and Shiro felt his stomach churn uncomfortably.

"Anyway, I think we got this whole Voltron thing sorted out." Keith said, sitting down and draping his arm across the back of the couch.

The Knight turned, looking at the boy. "Is that so?" She raised a calm eyebrow.

"I mean, yeah. It's not that hard. We just fly around and become a giant robot…thing..."

"Then you have been able to master the reverse nuclear fusion cannons?"

The room was silent for a moment and Shiro could feel the hesitation from the other Paladins. Keith was visibly uncomfortable.

"Uh, totally."

"Fascinating. And what practical application do you feel the cannons have?" She folded her hands behind her back in the same manner a teacher might lecture a wayward student. Each of the kids avoided eye contact with the Knight.

More silence followed. It would have been funny had Shiro not been cringing so hard. It was clear to him that the Knight was bluffing, but he didn't say anything; this was a teachable moment for them all.

"It uh…blows stuff up?" Hunk suggested, earning a dirty look from Keith.

Onara's face softened a little to what was almost the ghost of a smile and she shook her head.

"It is a ruse, dear Paladins." She said, addressing the group. "Reverse nuclear fusion cannons are a fabrication. While even I do not know all of Voltron's secrets, I can assure you, there is no such weapon."

Keith and Hunk exchanged glances, the taller sinking back onto the couch just a little.

"Why don't you know all of Voltron's secrets?"

"What makes you think you can train all of us?"

"When are we getting back to the Balmera to rescue Shay and the rest of the Balmerans?"

The kids erupted into a multitude of questions, which the Knight fielded with an admirable patience, though she was visibly flustered at the barrage.

"Guys, one at a time, okay?" Shiro called, feeling his voice getting lost in the fray. The Knight turned to look at him, opening her mouth to thank him, but was interrupted.

"Hey, how do we know we can trust you?" Pidge piped up. Onara raised her eyebrows as she looked at the smallest Paladin. There was visible distress etched into her features, though she exhaled calmly.

"I cannot, and will not, tell you to trust me. I can only hope to earn your trust through my actions." She said calmly. Shiro swallowed hard; he had heard that before, almost verbatim, from Ulaz.

"Blindly following someone…" The Knight hesitated, inhaling deeply. Shiro could tell there was something she wanted to say, poisonous vitriol brimming on her lips. "It is a fool's errand. May your first lesson from be me to question those who insist on absolute loyalty without first earning it."

The kids each exchanged glances and Coran cleared his throat nervously. "Ser Onara…"

"My apologies…I digress" Onara said quietly, regaining some of her composure. "I was meant to specifically train the Blue Paladin, but Coran and I have agreed –barring your Highnesses permission, of course- that I will serve all of you respectively, to the best of my abilities, in the absence of the other Knights. To carry on King Alfor's legacy, and to serve not only Altea, but Voltron itself. "

"We'll take all the help we can get!" Allura said cheerily, taking both of Onara's hands in her own. The woman looked stunned, staring down at their joined hands.

"Your Highness, I…"

"Welcome to the team." Shiro said, resting his hand on her armored shoulder. He wasn't quite sure what to make of the woman, but he wanted to keep an eye on her, to see if she could prove herself as a trustworthy member of the team.

* * *

A/N: Wednesday update. I'm working full time so I'm churning out stuff as I can...

I'm excited to talk more about the knights after the kids fix the Balmera situation. Tying to write Shiro as developing a gradual crush on the Knight.


	5. Chapter 5

Shiro sat on his bed, looking down at his Galra arm, his lungs aching as his mind wandered back to all of the events that led him to this point.

Once the kids had introduced themselves to the Knight and hit her with a barrage of questions that only went half or partially answered, Coran had ushered them all out so that Allura and Ser Onara could have a private conversation.

Something about this had bothered him deeply. He didn't like to have secrets kept from him, especially in situations like this, where it could impact the trust that the team had built up, and possibly put them all in danger.

And seeing the Princess leave the meeting visibly upset had done little to calm his discomfort about the entire situation.

It wasn't that he didn't want to trust Ser Onara, but that after all he'd been through, he just couldn't.

His fellow Paladins seemed to have mixed feelings about her, as well, so he knew he was in good company at least.

It did little to help the situation that immediately, Lance had claimed special 'rights' to her time and training, as she was the Blue Knight, and Keith had taken a certain offence to the whole thing.

It took a good fifteen minutes for Shiro to calm down the group. Already, the Knight was causing problems, though Shiro knew he couldn't fully blame her. None of this, as far as he knew, had been intentional, and none of it had been anything she had deliberately instigated.

Still, Ser Onara's presence aboard the ship vexed Shiro in ways that he couldn't quite pinpoint. He chalked it down to hypervigilance brought on by his time in Zarkon's Arena, but there was also an aching knot behind his ribs that he couldn't shake.

It didn't help that Sendak was imprisoned in a stasis pod, looming like a dark shadow at the edge of Shiros mind.

Just knowing that the Galra commander was close made Shiro's palms itch, his stomach twisting. He could never forget what Sendak had done to him, or forgive the atrocities he had been forced to carry out by the monster.

A sound from the hallway broke Shiro from his pensive state with a start and he found himself rising to his feet far faster than anticipated, slamming on the controls for the door to open.

The hallway was dead quiet, save for soft, distant sounds of footsteps, barely audible over the ventilation unit that kicked recycled air into the quarters.

Shiro knit his brow, peering out the door in time to see a flash of blue as Onara slipped from sight, her dressing gown trailing in her wake.

He inhaled, before following her as quietly as he could through the maze of hallways and chambers, always staying far enough behind to avoid detection.

In her hand, she held the jewel she had worn on the front of her armor as a means of lighting up the darkened hallways with a watery, blue light.

Shiro felt his blood freeze in his veins; what could she possibly be doing out, alone, roaming the castle halls?

Immediately his mind went to Sendak and he felt his stomach roil. What if she was a sleeper agent, sent to free Sendak? To trick them all and deliver Voltron into the hands of Zarkon?

As if sensing his thoughts, Ser Onara stopped abruptly, turning her head slightly, causing Shiro to press himself against the wall behind her, holding his breath as he waited for her to press onward.

As soft as a ghost, she fled barefoot down the hall, her own small Balmera crystal lighting the way like some kind of candle. It felt like a dream, just her form cast in a pale light as she passed down the darkened hallway.

They passed the control room, the sitting room, the kitchen, Shiro finding himself withholding his breath as he followed as quietly as he could manage.

If she were to deliver the Castle to Zarkon, she had vastly missed the opportunity to reroute the navigation system, unless she were to rely on Sendak for help.

The Knight stopped at one point, turning to look with a troubled expression. Shiro's heart was in his ears as he flattened himself against one of the support pillars, waiting for the Knight to resume her course as his heart hammered in his ears, his blood flowing.

He was sure she had seen him by now, or was at least aware she was being followed.

If there had been any doubt he was awake before, it vanished in that moment; this was no nightmare or hallucination. Every inch of his body was aware and filled with a sharp fear.

Instead, the Knight resumed her course, walking on swift feet until she was outside the door to one of the Castles' cargo holds, her fingers flying over the security panel.

The lights within the hold seemed bright in comparison to the hallway as it opened slowly, and Shiro watched as she disappeared inside.

Cautiously, he stole forward, knitting his brow as he blinked against the sudden, artificial light.

In that hold, they had placed the now defunct convoy ship, its damage looking even more grievous than it had outside in the vacuum of space.

He hesitated in the shadows, watching as the Knight stood stock-still outside the Altean craft, absolutely silent as she stared up at its hulking mass. He could feel his blood pressure roiling in his ears, though his limbs now felt cold as he understood a little better: She hadn't been after Sendak.

It felt like an hour had ticked by as he watched her, just standing in the shadow of the ship, her head bowed and hand clasped over her heart in the same salute she had given them all hours before.

Silently, she took a step forward, resting her forehead on the hull of the ship, leaning heavily against it in an embrace that Shiro understood as one of grief.

He exhaled through clenched teeth, relaxing his shoulders and fighting back a fresh wave of guilt for doubting the woman.

It would, of course, be natural for her to be grieving her comrades, and now he felt bad for following her, for spying on such a private moment.

But he couldn't just let her go about unchecked, to let the possibility of her betrayal come to fruition. He had the others to think about, he had to protect the kids.

"It has been a long time since I was briefed on Terran behavior, but do all make a habit of lurking outside of doorways?" Her voice, though strong, seemed lost in the vastness of the room, and the hum of the filtration system.

Shiro's throat tightened, his entire body tensing at the sound of her voice. He forced himself into a state of calm before appearing in the doorway.

Onara stood with her back to him, her hand still outstretched against the scarred hull of the ship.

"Sorry, I…I didn't mean to pry."

"I do not suppose you did." She straightened up, dropping her hand and turning to him. Beneath her gaze, he felt exposed, unworthy of the title of Paladin. "It is natural, you know. And good. To not readily trust an outsider. I am glad someone on the team is willing to act on their suspicion."

"Do I have reason to be suspicious?" Shiro felt his own words sitting heavily on his tongue. Out of habit, he crossed his arms over his chest, leaning against the doorjamb.

"Do I?" She gestured to his arm.

Shiro looked down at the smooth metal, knitting his brow as he fought back a wave of memories from the Arena. He felt a lump rise in his throat, feeling as though his heart was pounding against his sternum.

"It's a long story." He said, after a moment. Onara made a noise of acknowledgement, turning back to her ship and running her palm against the pockmarked metal. The silence was stiff, nearly tangible, though this time it wasn't so negative.

While Shiro's curiosity pressed him, he now understood her position a little better. He had no right to ask her about what happened aboard the ship than she did to ask him about his arm.

"I owe you an apology for attacking you earlier." She said after a moment of silence, turning back to face him, her hand over her chest as she inclined her head forward in a slight bow.

Shiro waved his hand dismissively. "I've had worse."

She gave him an appraising look, seeming to take in his features. He met her eyes for a moment before he found himself deferring under the intensity of her gaze.

"The Princess told me a little of each of the Paladins. She told me about your captivity…warning me of your… guest aboard the castle..."

Shiro nodded, trying not to let his displeasure show. He knew it was ridiculous, but it still bothered him when he knew other people were talking about his experiences.

"You should rest. You need to be alert, as the Head of Voltron you need to be ready for anything, and it sounds like we have quite a task ahead of us with the Balmera. I hope to asses everyone once this is all over, to see how best I can help." She spoke gently, watching his face carefully as if to confirm he heard her, her tone almost apologetic.

He uncrossed his arms, letting a diplomatically neutral expression reclaim his features. Perhaps it was better to conceal his feelings. She seemed sincere enough, and it wasn't as if she was trying to be cruel or callous.

"You should get some rest as well." Shiro replied, after a moment, offering a fragile smile.

"With all due respect, Paladin, I have been asleep for nearly ten thousand doboshes." Her eyes seemed to burn with a mixture of amusement and frustration, her mouth pulling slightly into what was almost a smile. He could tell this was a dry attempt at humor, and felt himself relax a little.

Shiro stared at her for a moment before breaking eye contact and smiling to himself, sincerely this time.

"Fair."

"Let us return to our chambers, we shall leave our ghosts to rest for another day." She said, sweeping towards the door, her bare feet making the faintest padding sound against the metal floor as she escorted him out, closing the door behind them.

They walked in silence for an uncomfortably long amount of time, Shiro trying to find a way to politely word the multitude of questions that were boiling in his mind. He still couldn't shake the feeling of suspicion that welled inside him.

They passed the sitting area, its lights dimmed to reflect the circadian rhythm that both humans and Alteans seemed to share.

"So… what's going to happen now?" Shiro paused, turning to look at her, knitting his brow. "What are we going to do with…" He stopped himself before he said 'the bodies', wincing a little when she stopped, her brows furrowing deeply.

She inhaled slowly, raising her chin.

"I didn't mean to…It's just alarming to have them on board…"

"It is a valid question." The Knight was visibly uncomfortable now, and Shiro shifted restlessly, trying to not let his embarrassment show. "I suppose we shall resolve it after the Balmera is liberated."

Shiro nodded in agreement. It was frustrating, but sensible. But there were other questions that burned uncomfortably in his mind, and Onara seemed to pick up his mounting discomfort.

"There is much that you, as the Head of Voltron, and as someone aboard this ship, need to know… Some I have answers to, some I do not."

"I don't understand…what, exactly, is stopping you from telling us? What don't you know?" Shiro frowned, turning to look at the Knight fully.

Onara met his eyes, sucking in her cheeks as she contemplated him carefully before she spoke.

"When I became a Knight of Alfor, I swore fealty to the King, to the service of Voltron…" She hesitated, visibly mulling her words over. There was a humanity in that action that Shiro found somewhat reassuring, but he wasn't ready to let the subject go just yet.

"I intend to serve out that oath until my dying breath, Paladin. The Knights were never meant to be known. We were selected to serve our Lions and our Paladins, and pass into obscurity. Not even Princess Allura knew of The Knights." She tilted her head slightly. "But I have a feeling you knew that already."

"Coran…briefed us before we boarded your ship. Not anything detailed, just…What the Knights were. And that he'd been under the impression that the mission had failed."

She nodded, drawing her hand up to her chin in an expression of contemplation.

"He was not supposed to say as much, but I suppose given the circumstances, little can be helped. Perhaps I should request and audience with Princess Allura to determine what I am allowed to disclose…"

"I think you should. I think we need to be transparent with each other." Shiro's voice was stern, though Onara was unrelenting in her noble, reserved bearing.

It was frustrating.

"I do agree." She said evenly. "And with ten thousand doboshes in between myself and…"

He could tell she was struggling a little, her brow knitting as she seemed to stare at a fixed point on his chest.

"You still feel like you're breaking your oath to King Alfor, don't you?" the understanding dawned on Shiro, embarrassingly slow.

"Yes, it is…complicated. But that is the essence ." There was visible relief etched in her face, and Shiro couldn't help but feel a little lighter himself.

There were still a thousand burning questions in the back of his mind, but he knew he'd have to approach them all in good time.

"What about Coran?" Shiro said as they approached the sleeping quarters. In the dim lights, he found himself watching Onara's face for any shift, any tells she might have that would incriminate or absolve her of suspicion.

"Coran…We are old colleagues, one might say. He advised on the selection of candidates for Knighthood, counselled the King on what steps to take to ensure our success, to train us properly in case things went poorly…" She sighed, a familiar exhaustion tugging at her eyes. "It is a shame it was for nothing. Zarkon still won."

Hearing the Emperors name fall from the Knights lips, faint with vitriol, made Shiro's stomach drop and he took a moment to calm himself down.

"It's like Allura said." Shiro put his hand on her shoulder, squeezing gently. "You're here now, aren't you? We'll take down Zarkon, with your help."

"Yes." Onara smiled, her expression still reserved, couched in sadness, but it gave Shiro hope to see a smile on the Knight's face. "Yes, I suppose the Princess is right. I am here, and I will do everything I can to help all of you. You have my word, in the name of Alfor."

Shiro gave her a half smile, their eyes meeting briefly before he withdrew his hand. He hadn't realized he had stepped so close.

That same discomfort from before had settled back into his stomach, though this time it felt more like a heavy ache right behind his ribs.

"Get some rest, Paladin." She raised her hand over her heart in a slight bow. Shiro blinked, once again taken aback by the gentle formality that the Altean race seemed to exude. "All will come to light with due course, on my honor."

Briefly, Shiro wondered if he should mirror her action, or perhaps offer a salute, but before he made up his mind she had already turned away. In her wake, her pale blue dressing gown billowed softly.

Shiro sighed, leaning against the door and crossing his arms, thinking back on her words as he tried to dispel the uneasiness that had settled within.

The paranoid half of his brain told him that her assurange sounded like little more than a tidy excuse, that there was a possibility that she had fabricated the whole story. Perhaps even she was the one to attack her group.

It seemed to fit a little too well, a little too convenient that she would be the only survivor.

But why? And why hide in range of a pulsar, hiding their signature for ten thousand years, in a ship that had barely made it? It would have been too much of a shot in the dark.

He had seen the transmissions of her fighting beside her fellow knights, standing against whatever or whoever was against them. Algoma had mentioned the fall of the Red and Black Knights, that there had been some kind of problem. Perhaps Onara, Algoma, and Alvida had rebelled? Tried to overthrow the order?

Or perhaps Gleaves and Ighham had betrayed the group, or gone mad…

Shiro admitted, he had his own theories about what had gone on, and he wanted to question Ser Onara further, but he knew he needed to bide his time.

Instead, he resolved to hold a degree of caution towards the Knight, although now he understood her position and her hesitation a little better. He could respect her promise to Alfor and her loyalty to the dead king, and any help the Paladins could get would be an asset.

For now, they had to make it back to the Balmera and save the brave Balmerans who had put themselves on the line to help Voltron.

* * *

A/N: Thank you, everyone, for your kind reviews and just being awesome in general. You've really helped me hang on to this project and push myself to do a lot better as a writer on this.


	6. Chapter 6

The Balmera appeared across the view screen of the Castle ship, everyone falling momentarily silent. The entire system seemed to be ensconced in a toxic looking yellow sheen made from matter that floated around the creature.

Shiro could all but feel the horror and outrage radiating from the Alteans aboard the Castle Ship, and he swore he heard Onara whisper under her breath as they approached the creature. Allura averted her gaze for a moment, sorrow etching her face before she stiffened her resolve

"We'll be arriving at the Balmera soon." Allura's voice was solemn, her brows knit in concentration as her hands hovered gently over the navigation pedestals. "Liberating these Balmerans from Zarkon's grasp will not be an easy task."

"So what's the plan? Do we just go in there and just…" Lance waved his hands "POW POW POW, free the prisoners?"

"What…what was that noise you just made?" Keith gave Lance an incredulous look and Shiro grit his teeth to keep from laughing. Now wasn't really the time, but he had to admit, it was funny.

"Lazer guns." Lance seemed especially proud of himself while Onara and Coran exchanged a hesitant glance from their consoles.

"No, Lance, I think they're more like 'Pzow Pzow Pzow'." Hunk raised his arms, imitating the firing of a canon. "Pzew!"

"That sounds like fireworks…"

"Technically they're more like 'Bchew! Bchew! Bchew!'" Pidge interjected, pretending to fire a handgun. Allura looked vaguely alarmed and Onara raised her hand, pinching the bridge of her nose.

"Okay! Enough with the bad sound effects." Shiro was having a hard time holding back his amusement. "Besides, it's more like 'BLAM BLAM BLAM!" He aimed, dropping to one knee

"What! You're crazy."

"No way."

"Uh, Wrong."

"Paladins, please! Focus on the task at hand." Allura's voice was short as she tried to bring them all back to the gravity of the Balmera's situation, but Shiro had to admit, granting the kids a little levity had been helpful in easing the tension.

From the console, Onara raised her eyebrows, giving them all an appraising, uncertain look from beneath her thick bangs. Coran's fingers were flying over the holopanels as he streamed line after line of data, detailing the Galra's occupation of the creature. With a wave of his hand, he swept it over to Onara's holoscreen and the Knight nodded solemnly, tweaking a few numbers before waving it back to Coran for confirmation.

For a brief moment, Shiro found himself placated that Coran and Onara seemed to mesh so well. Ten thousand years and they worked efficiently together.

But almost immediately after, he felt some other twinge, a slight spark of resentment in his stomach. He couldn't pin the source; but he felt… uncomfortable as he watched the two. As if he were out of place in the grand scheme of Voltron.

"I would advise against rushing into this situation, Paladins. We cannot simply blast our way through the Galra." Onara said after a minute, pulling up an anatomical diagram of a Balmera on the view screen for all to observe. "Let us not forget that the Balmera is a living creature, and is already quite weak according to Hunk and Coran's intelligence…"

"It's an atrocity what the Galra have done to this grand beast..." Coran said, his tone grave. "Stealing its crystals, its very life force, without ever performing the energy rejuvenation ceremonies to heal it…"

"Seeing Shay's people enslaved…it made me realize how bad Zarkon really is." Hunk said quietly, looking down with a deep frown that felt so very out of character for the normally cheerful teen. "And we're the only ones who can stop him."

"Right. So Plan B. We find a way to draw the Galra up to the surface, and battle them out there." Shiro looked up at the damaged creature that floated in the viewscreen.

Seeing the brutality of the Galra once again laid bare only served to reaffirm Shiro's resolve that the Galra had to be stopped at all costs.

"Wait!" Pidge's voice was bright. "If we attack all the mining stuff on the surface, the Galra troops will have to come out and defend it."

"Then we beat them up, head down to the tunnels, and Voltron saves the day." Hunk seemed to brighten a little bit at the solution as he made hand gestures to emphasize their plan. It was pretty clear that he was trying to keep his sunny façade in front of his teammates, but he was still visibly troubled. Shiro looked back at the screen, trying to factor in any ways the plan could go wrong.

"But how will we know how many are left in the tunnels?" Keith beat Shiro to the punch, exchanging a glance with his mentor.

"We can track the Galra and the Balmerans using Biothermal Life Indicator Point Technology." Allura said calmly, uncrossing her arms.

"Oh! BLIP-tech." Pidge interjected before the princess could elaborate. Allura looked a little surprised, confusion clouding her bright blue eyes as she looked down at the Green Paladin.

"Its…it's an acronym." Pidge said, adjusting her glasses and looking up at Allura wish a sheepish smile.

"We'll need someone to fly around the Balmera and drop sensors into each side. Then we'll be able to track where the Galra and the Balmerans are." Coran used his hands to illuminate a diagram of two of the deeper mining craters, giving a rough idea of where the Paladins should direct their efforts. "There are already sensors built into your suits."

"I can do it! I just modified the Green Lion with the invisible maze's cloaking mechanism. I should be able to fly around unnoticed."

Onara turned sharply to look at Pidge, her eyes a mixture of horror and amazement at the mention of the Lion's modification. Coran cleared his throat, causing the Knight to turn her attention back to the task at hand.

"This is the main power generator." Onara's voice was curt as she zoomed in on a particular spot on the Balmera, pulling up a satellite image of the Galra machinery on the surface of the creature for further emphasis. "Once that is taken out, the Galra defenses will be severely weakened. But you must be very careful, the Balmera cannot afford to take any more damage. We are talking a catastrophic loss of life. I cannot stress this enough, dear Paladins."

"We'll stay in cloud cover and provide tactical support. With the Castle's defenses weakened from Sendak's crystal, we won't be of much help to you, I'm afraid." Allura said patiently, concern etching her features as she clasped her hands in an effort to control her anxiety over the situation.

"I'll take out the power generator." Shiro found himself volunteering, casting a glance at the kids. "Kieth, Lance, Hunk, you take care of the big mining rigs around the area."

"Yeah! Okay, let's do this! Let's go kick some alien butt!" Hunk was visibly eager, pumping his fist in the air. Shiro felt his stomach twist with excitement and fear. This was it. This was really, genuinely it.

"Hey, you think the Balmerans will have a parade for us after we've freed everybody?" Lance's voice cut through Shiro's thoughts, causing the feeling of excitement to drain away almost immediately, only to be replaced by embarrassment.

"It's not about the glory, Lance. It's about freeing prisoners from Zarkon." Keith's voice betrayed his annoyance and Shiro braced himself for a new fight between the two teens.

Onara looked thoroughly mortified but said nothing, never dropping her composure as she sent Coran a new set of statistics on the Balmera with a wave of her armored hand. She clenched her jaw as if she were actively biting her tongue as Lance dug himself deeper.

"No, I know. I know…" Lance seemed only a little embarrassed at the rebuke. "But still." He gestured vaguely.

"Okay. Let's get our heads in the game." Shiro called, hoping to diffuse the situation before it escalated any further. He couldn't help but feel apprehension: this was their first real mission as Voltron, and lives hung in the balance. Could the team really put aside their differences in a situation like this?

There was so much at stake now.

* * *

A/N: It's Wednesday my dudes hreqfncjnwk


	7. Chapter 7

The Balmera shook and shuddered as Shiro and the rest of the Paladins each made their way down to the core to save Shay, hot on the trails of the Galra forces.

When they had arrived on the surface, Shiro noticed that there was a distinct absence of Galra forces, something confirmed by Keith when he reported back from the hanger that he and Lance were sent to sabotage.

Shiro knew it was a gamble in the best of terms, and a trap in the worst, but they had to at least try.

"They're drawing us into an ambush, but we don't have a choice if we want to save Shay. We have to follow." Shiro's voice sounded deceptively calm over the headset, though he felt like his hands were shaking as he proceeded down the narrow maze of arteries that led to the heart of the Balmera.

The Paladins pushed through to the central chamber, the large, blue Balmera crystal pulsing faintly and flooding the sweltering chamber with a pale light.

Suspended above the floor in front of the crystal was what Shiro assumed was a Balmeran woman, a metal mask clasped firmly over her face to keep her from making too much noise.

She was tall and muscular, with a face that radiated an unfathomable kindness, despite her distinctly alien appearance.

She thrashed when she saw them, her bright yellow eyes going wide as she moaned, shaking her head.

They had made a mistake.

"Shay! You're alive!" Hunk rushed forward without a moment of hesitation. Shay twisted in her restraints, her voice muffled and her eyes wide with fear as the boy released her from her imprisonment.

"Where are the Galra? If this is an ambush, they should be here waiting for us." Pidge's brows furrowed as she clutched her bayard, her expression one of almost veiled disappointment, as if she had been hoping to meet a horde of Galra troops head-on.

"Not an ambush… more like a trap." Keith said, his dark eyes narrowed as he scanned the chamber.

"Whatever it is, keep your guard up." Shiro cautioned, readying his own bayard just in case, feeling sweat beading on his brow. The moment he had seen the expression on the woman's face, he knew there would be trouble.

As if on cue, the massive metal doors clanged shut in every direction, sealing them all inside the heart of the ancient creature.

Shiro felt his pulse jump, a feeling of dread filling him as he turned to look for an exit. The Paladins each exchanged a glance, Shay's expression betraying her absolute dread and fear.

"The Galra, they gained knowledge that you would return to the Balmera." She said, her gentle voice barely above a fearful whisper.

Hunk knit his brow, frowning at the young Balmeran. He seemed calm, but Shiro's trained eye caught the tremble of fear and anger in the teens hands. "But… How?"

"I know not. But they set this trap just for you… I was the bait." Shay's voice was tearful, apologetic.

"Who could have possibly known that we were heading here to save Shay?" Pidge's even voice cut the tension, the girl raising her hand to her chin in thought. Behind her amber eyes, Shiro could see her thoughts churning already.

"Rolo! Those liars must have told Zarkon." Lance hissed, slamming his fist down on his palm, his cheeks flushing in anger.

"We shouldn't have stopped for the Knights…" Hunk's expression darkened, his hand still on Shay's shoulder.

"We have to figure out how to get out of here." Shiro said evenly, feeling uncomfortable at the multitude of thoughts and emotions that were rushing through his head, the tension tangible in that little room.

If they hadn't stopped for the Knights…

Shiro couldn't shake the image of Onara from his mind, her face lit by the glow of her brooch. He closed his eyes, exhaling slowly.

The Balmera let out a shuddering, high-pitched moan, shaking rocks from the ceiling in the throes of agony.

Lance's face betrayed the sheer terror Shiro felt in the pit of his stomach as the group braced themselves against the tremors.

"Wait! We have a giant Castle ship hovering in the sky." Pidge's voice rose with excitement, her eyes bright. "Allura, can you please come get us?

"How do you expect her to do that, genius?" Keith's voice was flat, though there was a slight temper of hope behind the heavy veil of sarcasm.

"I don't know, maybe they got teleporters or something." Pidge's tone was sharp and Shiro braced himself to diffuse another argument. Now was most certainly not the time for the teens to start bickering.

However, Allura's cool voice cut through the tension, causing all of the Paladins to exchange an alarmed look.

"We're quite occupied at the moment."

"We are completely surrounded by Galra ships and we are taking heavy fire." Onara's voice was rough, couched in panic and frustration. An alarm was blaring in the background, nearly drowning out the soldier's unnervingly calm voice.

"Princess, our particle barrier won't last much longer! Paladins, you need to get out of there as soon as you can!" Coran interjected, the sounds of him working the ship's system barely audible in the background.

"This is it! We're going to die in here." Hunk's voice cracked.

"I can say bye-bye to that parade…" Lance sounded miserable.

"Get it together, guys." Shiro forced a calm over his voice, fighting back the wave of frustration and embarrassment. He had to keep his cool. Now was not the time for him to panic, despite the knot that was growing behind his ribs. "Allura, Coran…" he felt his voice falter, Onara's name seemingly catching in his throat. His heart seemed to still for a moment, and he knit his brow.

"…we'll get there as soon as we can." Shiro finished, stiffening his resolve.

"Perhaps my people can help us get out. The Balmera senses our vibrations and sends a message to those in the tunnels." Shay raised her hand and pressed it firmly against the wall of the Balmera, her voice timid but her expression hopeful.

"Are you sure someone will be able to hear…your hand…from all the way down here?" Pidge looked incredulous and Shiro turned fully to face them, all eyes on the young alien

"The Balmera will deliver the message." Shay's eyes shone, alight with confidence for just a moment before Allura's panicked voice cut through their intercoms.

"They're heading down into the tunnels! They're going to steal the Lions! Paladins, the Lions are in danger! You must get back to them immediately!"

The panic was palpable, radiating down through the tunnels and striking a thrill of fear that ripped through Shiro's spine.

An alarm blared through the headset, causing the kids to flinch, covering their ears, despite their helmets being the conveyance of the noise.

Coran's voice was almost drowned out by the din. "Princess, something's locked onto us!"

"Paladins, do you copy? There's a battle cruiser locked onto us. If it fires with its ion cannon, I don't know if we can survive! Se-Ser Onara, where are you going? Ser Onara, stop!"

Shiro's stomach dropped. Was this it? Was this the inevitable betrayal? That discomfort with Onara he had felt from the start?

"Allura, what's happening?" Shiro turned away from the kids, who each were exchanging nervous glances.

"I am going to draw their fire." Onara's voice came over the headset, firm and clear despite the blare of the siren in the background.

"No, you can't!" Allura's voice cracked with distress and grief, and Lance was the first to respond, trying to console the Princess.

"We're trying, Allura."

"Just hold on. Don't do anything brash." Shiro cautioned over the headset, motioning for the kids to calm. The last thing he needed was for them to start panicking.

"Ser Onara!" Coran's voice sounded shaky, almost terrified beneath his matter-of-fact façade.

There was radio silence that felt thick and heavy. No response from the Knight. No word from either Coran or Allura.

For all Shiro knew, she could be slaughtering Allura and Coran where they stood, delivering Voltron into Zarkon's grasp.

Shiro felt his breath coming up short, his chest tight. There was no sound, no commotion over the airwaves. Nothing.

"Coran! What's the situation?" Shiro barked into his communicator, his tone impatient as he caught Keith's eye. In that moment, he knew the boy was thinking the same thing he was.

"We're still taking heavy fire. Diverting all energy to the shields. We can't hold the Galra off for long!" Shiro couldn't help but feel a wave of relief at hearing the redheads voice cutting through the din.

"I will do everything within my power to buy you all some time." Onara's voice was muffled, as if she were speaking through fabric. She was walking, or running, rather.

"Onara, stand down!" Shiro snapped into the communicator, feeling his blood pressure climbing with the heat inside the chamber.

Shay stood in silence, her hand pressed up against the wall of the chamber. The heat inside the Balmera was stifling, the air stale and short. Shiro could practically feel the radiation emanating from the crystal. There was no telling what it might be doing to himself or the kids…

"Shay, are you sure the Balmera is sending your message? We don't have much more time!"

Suddenly, the Balmera shook, giving a tremendous, trembling moan and Shay's eyes brightened.

The doors wrenched open in front of them, revealing several more Balmerans of varying shapes and heights.

Shiro didn't have a full chance to process the aliens, one rushing forward and embracing Shay.

"Rax! We must make haste." Shay only returned the embrace only for a moment. There was a tension between them that Shiro understood all too well; Rax had betrayed Shay's trust.

"Come, we know a shortcut through the tunnels." Rax said after a moment, his yellow eyes travelling cautiously over the Paladins.

"Lead the way." Lance gestured vaguely towards the tunnels.

"Allura, stand by. Ser Onara, don't do anything brash. We're on our way up." Shiro seemed to be rationing his breath as he spoke, hope rising in his chest as he made his way through the tunnels towards his Lion.

"Paladins, hurry! They're taking off with the Lions!" Allura's voice was panicked over the headset, cracking from stress and fear as the Paladins made their way through the tunnels towards their respective lions.

Shiro swallowed the lump in his throat as he climbed into the cockpit of the Black Lion, barely able to control the shake of his hands as he wrapped his fingers around the controls.

He felt the twist of fear and panic, blood pumping in his ears. He needed to calm down, but his heart and his mind were spinning at the speed of light.

"Guys, did everyone make it to the lions in time?" Shiro forced a calm over himself as he let his hands fall comfortably onto the controls, tugging back on the thrusters as he lifted off from the bowels of the Balmera.

"Come on, Shiro. Who you think you're dealing with, a bunch of amateurs?" Lance's voice was smooth, smug.

"Do you really want me to answer that?" Keith's voice echoed flatly in Shiro's ears. The last thing they needed was for those two to start bickering now…

There was a momentary pause before Lance mumbled a tentative 'No' into his headset. Shiro exhaled slowly between his teeth. They could settle their differences after this whole ordeal…

"Let's go!" Shiro's voice came out far more confident than he felt as he navigated the narrow, crumbling arteries of the ancient creature.

Shiro broke the surface, the bright light of a nearby star seeming almost blinding after spending so much time underground. It felt almost as if a weight had been lifted off his shoulders.

Though he knew the real fight was far from over, just breaking free of the confines of the Balmera seemed like a major step forward. If they could draw the fight away frm the dying beast, they may have a chance at saving the Balmera and its inhabitants.

Coran was quick to interrupt the feeling of liberation, however.

"It's charging its ion cannon! Divert all shields to the bow!"

An alarm cut the redhead off, and Allura's voice chimed in.

"Paladins, I need you immediately! Five more ticks and we're finished! Ser Onara, what's your location?"

"Fifteen ticks off portside. Targeting their ion cannon. Powering up my guns." Onara's voice was cool, calm, despite the sounds of explosions in the background. Shiro could hear her navigation system beeping over the frazzled communication system.

"That won't be enough, Sir Onara! We need you here!"

"Then I shall draw their fire." Onara's tone was resolute, sending chills down Shiro's spine.

"Fall back, Ser Onara! The Paladins are on their way." Shiro steeled his nerves.

Something about hearing the Knight's voice steeled Shiro's resolve, and he felt his chest swell with pride and determination. He had to lead the Paladins to victory. He couldn't let the Knight be the only one holding the line up there. He couldn't let her sacrifice herself like that.

"Okay, team, let's form Voltron!"

Cheers from his fellow Paladins echoed in the Shiro's ears as Voltron's lions connected, each of the parts docking together and forming an airlock.

"Right now is our chance, Princess! Full power on the blasters! Locked onto target. Ser Onara, fall back. We're here now." Shiro uttered a silent prayer to whatever deity might be paying attention that he wasn't too late.

Through the viewscreen, Shiro could make out a small, Altean craft slipping gracefully through the barrage of Galra fighters. Its path was punctuated by explosions as it turned sharply, guided by expert hands.

"Fire!" Allura cried, a tight, blue beam erupting fourth from the Castles main defensive canon, the Galra ship exploding into a sea of stars, dead-silent in the vacuum of space.

* * *

A/N: Sorry for the late update. Life, regrettably, has gotten in the way. But things will get better. They always do.


	8. Chapter 8

Defeating the Robeast that had been sent by the Galra had proved to be more difficult than Shiro could have imagined, but with some impressive teamwork, he and the kids managed to pull themselves together to overcome their first real challenge as a team.

A genuine and thorough victory against the Galra Empire. The first, of what Shiro could only hope, would be many.

The monster…machine? It had conjured memories from Shiro's time in Zarkon's arena, and with it, a wave of unpleasant sensations that the Black Paladin was struggling to reconcile, even after the heat of the battle had subsided, the beast trapped inside one of the Balmera's crystals that had suddenly formed across the surface.

The Alteans had tried to evacuate the Balmera initially, but the fragile nature of the creature had prevented an effective evacuation and some of the shafts had collapsed, further hindering the Balmerans's escape.

When Shiro arrived at the Castle with the rest of the Paladins, he spotted a small group of Balmerans gathered under the ship, a blue light streaking the parched and fractured ground.

Familiar, blue crystals were blooming all around, jutting haphazardly from the ground beneath his feet as life was incrementally restored.

The landscape shifted under his feet, as if a land racked with drought knew water once more. He could feel the sweep of vitality moving over the landscape, residual energy making him feel electrified, alive.

His breath caught in his throat as he approached the group, the Balmerans parting to let The Paladins through. He wasn't sure what he'd find in the center, but he could only let his own fears race through his mind.

Ten thousand years…only for this…

Coran stood with his back to Shiro, his arms falling helplessly to his side, his face pale and distressed, tinged with sadness as the Paladins approached.

Shiro reluctantly tore his eyes away from the redhead and focused on the figures standing beneath the Castle.

Directly beneath the ship, where the blue-white light radiated the brightest, Shiro could make out Allura and Onara, their hands joined, clasping each other's forearms in a circle. Their eyes, rolled-back and white, Altean marks on their cheekbones seemingly brimming with energy, hair billowing in swirls of black and white.

There was something powerful happening that Shiro didn't fully understand.

"What…" Shiro looked over at Coran, his brow furrowed. He wanted to run forward, to stop the two before it was too late, but he found himself rooted to the spot. He couldn't bring himself to intervene. It was as if an invisible force were holding him back.

Helplessly, he watched, his eyes wide and his stomach roiling.

"Princess Allura and Ser Onara are performing the rejuvenation ceremony." The redhead said quietly, tension pulling at his eyes. Shiro looked back towards the two women, their faces serene as they poured their energy into the dying beast. "They were the only ones who could do it…"

"Will…they be all right?" Pidge's voice was quiet from Shrio's elbow, her voice distant, betraying her concern. Shiro felt his eyes burning as he stared, his heart aching hollowly as his stomach twisted.

Coran was silent, a tension pulling at his brow. He was trying to put on a brave face, but even the Altean didn't have a sure answer.

Shiro fought back a wave of fear and discomfort as the light slowly began to fade from the figures, strobing for a moment before seemingly receding back into the two women.

It felt, for a moment, like when the light faded, so, too, would the figures before them.

The women's eyes went back to normal, staring for a moment at one another. Shiro's breath caught in his chest as a gentle expression of relief washed over Alluras face.

"We did it, Onara…"

Onara was silent, her eyes bright, reflecting everything back to the princess as she nodded slowly, giving the faintest hint of a smile.

In the next moment, the two seemed to buckle as gravity caught up to them.

Before the Princess could even hit the ground, Coran was beside her, throwing her arm around his shoulder and helping the girl.

Onara stood for a moment, her composure strong, proud as she watched Coran help the Princess.

Her face was calm, a kindness tugging at her eyes. There was a general feeling of calmness, of serenity.

Shiro stared for a moment, transfixed, his heart in his ears as the other Paladins rushed to the Princess's aid. He felt cold and hot at the same time, his limbs feeling light, tingling with energy and excitement.

He couldn't put his finger on this feeling, blaming it on the quintessence that drenched the soul, hanging in the air around him.

In the blink of an eye Shiro was broken from his reverie, the Knight before him suddenly crumpled forward, going down onto one knee hard enough that her armor made an appalling, cracking sound. She braced herself against the ground with one hand, her brows knitting as her dark waves fell around her shoulders like a shadowy veil.

It took a moment for him to process what was happening. There was an almost deliberate nature to the way she had moved towards the ground, even though, logically there was no reason for it.

It wasn't until her shoulders sagged that Shiro rushed forward, lifting her arm over his shoulder, his other hand firmly on her waist. The Knight's knees buckled a little and she sagged against him for just a moment before she gained a weak sort of footing.

"Paladin…the children…" He understood what she was asking; she wanted to ensure everyone made it through all right.

"It's okay, we're fine. Just lean on me." Shiro said quietly, offering a smile as fragile as a truce flag. His voice was nearly drowned out by the cheers of the Balmerans and the Paladins alike, but Onara nodded in understanding, leaning herself against him, her hand on his stomach in a gesture that seemed uncomfortably intimate and made a shiver run down his spine.

But there was also a comfort in it, a grounding factor as he held the Altean Knight in his arms. She was warm against him, gentle and reassuring.

Alive.

He fought back the wave of relief and concern for the woman as he helped her towards the Castle Ship's boarding ramp, sure to keep his hold on her steady.

He had been so sure of her betrayal and yet…

And yet…

What she had done on both accounts had been unbelievably reckless, though he understood she had offered to draw the Galra away out of an effort to save everyone…

He really would have done the same in her situation.

But the Balmera Rejuvination Cerimony…

Onara had been willing to sacrifice herself to save Voltron, to save Allura and Coran, and now she had put herself in danger to help save the Balmera… and even after all that…

She was worried about the wellbeing of the Paladins.

Shiro felt a measure of guilt for ever doubting her, but he also understood that he needed to be cautious for the sake of the others. It was a different world out here.

"I just need to rest. I will be fine." She said against his shoulder as they walked up the ramp, past the throng of celebrating Balmerans. Her footsteps were tentative, though she seemed determined to walk on her own, resisting more help from Shiro than simply a tentative hand on his lower back.

The Knight hesitated in the main entrance hall, seating herself on one of the low benches for a moment, her expression weary as she slumped a little.

"Ser Onara…I owe you an apology." Shiro began, after the woman was seated. She raised her eyes, exhaustion pulling at the edges. She looked older, in some way, as if the years had started to catch up to her.

He found himself wanting to smooth the lines beneath her eyes away with his fingertips, to put her back to how she was when he first saw her.

"You have nothing to apologize for, Dear Paladin." She said gently, moving over on the seat to allow him to sit beside her.

"I didn't trust you." He chose to remain standing, crossing his arms.

"I told you not to. Not immediately. Blind trust is what got my friends and comrades killed. We cannot afford mistakes like that to happen, not again." Onara's eyes were distant, sad. She closed them, exhaling slowly. Shiro put his hand on her shoulder in an attempt to comfort the Knight. He didn't know what had happened, but he could tell it weighed heavily on her shoulders.

And now wasn't the time to ask, but he was grateful for whatever information she was willing to share.

He understood her more now; the guilt he'd frequently felt about surviving the arena was the same she carried around for surviving the convoy. This realization filled Shiro with a cold dread, a wave of something akin to pity sweeping over him.

It was a heavy weight for someone to carry…

"You must think me foolish for rushing in, dear Paladin. I had to do something." Onara said, her tone faintly apologetic.

Shiro was quiet, seating himself on the bench beside her, letting his palms rest against the surface of the seat.

"I understand you find what I have done this day to be… ill advised." Onara began carefully, visibly steeling herself. "But I… you must understand. I cannot let Voltron fail. I cannot let anything happen to the children, to the Princess…to…" She hesitated, her pale eyes staring at the floor. "We have lost too much already." She recovered carefully.

Shiro knight his brow, leaning forward and looking down at his feet.

"You need to take care of yourself, too, Ser Onara." He said firmly, kindly. As the words left his mouth, they suddenly felt like a punch to the gut; an echo of the past.

Unpleasant memories came flooding back and Shiro closed his eyes to fight back the onslaught, a foul feeling rising from the pit of his stomach, his anger at Adam threatening to dampen the mood.

"Sorry, I didn't mean..."

She didn't say a word, reaching over and resting her hand on his shoulder, giving it a gentle, comforting squeeze. He reached over, resting his hand on her knee with a slight smile.

She was perceptive to mood changes, that much was evident. It wouldn't be so easy for him to keep his façade around her. Soon, she'd know the kind of person he was.

The fear gnawed at him, but there was a strange sort of relief to it, as well. Maybe he wouldn't have to hide anymore. They were cut from the same cloth, so it would seem.

A shadow passed over the door and Shiro looked up to see Keith standing, his brows knit and his eyes hesitant. Shiro immediately withdrew his hand from the Knight, suddenly feeling embarrassment sweep over him.

"Shiro? Everyone is looking for you."

"Go. Celebrate." Onara said with a smile, rising to her feet and letting her hand linger on Shiros shoulder for a moment. "I must rest."

She then raised her hand to her chest, inclining her head forward in an Altean salute, before she disappeared up the dim hallways towards the sleeping chambers, her hand on the wall to steady her feet.

Keith raised his eyebrows at Shiro as he watched the Knight disappear.

"So."

Shiro glanced at the teen, trying not to let his discomfort show. He had done nothing wrong with Onara. There was no reason to feel any shame.

But here he was, feeling the weight of Keiths gaze, fighting back a strange sensation burning in his ears.

"Hmm?" Shiro kept it vague. Whatever the boy thought he saw, it was nothing untoward.

"What was that?"

* * *

A/N: Keith knows what's up, before Shiro even does.  
I'm excited to write more about Shiro and Onara's budding friendship. Shiro's still carrying around the emotional wound from Adam (whose ultimatum was actually pretty abusive and manipulative and definitely not a good model for queer relationships) so it's going to be fun to reconcile that and Shiro's newly realized pansexuality.


	9. Chapter 9

With the Balmera on its way to recovery, Shiro knew that the struggles for the Balmerans were far from over; there was a potential for Galra backlash in the long run, and the Balmerans had to count their losses and bury their dead, but for the time being, at least they were free.

The Paladins knew they had to move on to their next challenge, be whatever it may, but for the time being, their main concern was Princess Allura and Ser Onara.

The Rejuvenation Ceremony had stripped them of their strength, and to make it worse, neither of the Alteans were particularly keen to rest and recover as they should.

Coran, busy herding the young Princess away from the holochamber that contained the AI of King Alfor, the redhead ended up frequently sending Shiro to go check on the Knight to make sure her vitals were still stable.

There were a few times it looked like Onara was going to have to be put into a stasis pod, the lack of which Shiro credited to her choosing to at least stay in her room.

Allura's magic, Coran had explained, had been stronger, more refined than Onara's. While not all Alteans had an affinity for magic, Onara and Allura shared a talent at tapping into the Quintessence that the universe churned fourth.

In all honestly, it would have sounded a bit like a load had Shiro not seen it with his own eyes.

He turned the vital scanner over in his human hand as he walked down the dim hallway, moving towards the Knights quarters, pausing as he stared down the hallway, dimly aware of another presence aboard the ship, one regarded with considerably less fondness.

It had been easy to push Sendaks presence into the back of his mind. Shiro had a talent for compartmentalizing issues at hand; he was able to push himself to go on the Kerberos Mission despite the pain of Adam's ultimatum, was able to survive the arena by pushing aside the concept of brutality and forcing it into little more than a need to survive…

And he could compartmentalize the specific, individual brutalities dealt out by Sendak…

Sendak's presence on the ship only added to Shiro's tension; like a ticking time bomb that loomed on the edge of his conscious. It pervaded every activity, lingering on the edge of his mind.

Even now, it seemed like Sendak was torturing Shiro. Just the fact that he was still alive, still existing, felt like a gross affront to the Paladin.

He knew there were large gaps in his memory, and he never really wanted to get those memories back. He had to repress them, consciously, if he must.

The device in his hand, which Shiro suddenly realized he had been gripping too tight, gave a plaintive whine, drawing him back to the present.

It took a moment for him to come back to reality, his teeth unclenching and his muscles uncoiling as he took a moment to relax, blood rushing from his head and slowly redistributing itself throughout his body.

He was outside of Onara's door and he paused, pushing his notions of Sendak aside, taking a deep breath in a short moment of meditation; breathe in, breath out. Find your center.

Rinse, repeat.

He put his hand against the panel, opening the door, expecting to see the Knight at least under the pretense of resting.

Instead he found her sitting upright, in full armor, her pale eyes trained on a holopad that projected the three dimensional recording of Lance and Keith bickering in the training room.

There was no audio, but he could tell it was a heated debate between the two.

Shiro felt a shock of embarrassment as Onara looked up expectantly. He was sure he knew what she was going to say, and he really wasn't in the mood to hear it.

Instead she inclined her head slightly, looking back at the data pad and pausing the feedback, entering some data on a secondary pad to her left. Glowing words fluttered cryptically across the screen in beautiful, Altean script.

"How is the Princess?" Onara said, instead of chastising him for his lack of control over his team. Perhaps she sensed his discomfort, his annoyance at Lance and Keith for being so uncooperative, and his own feelings of failure for being unable to reign them in.

Shiro inhaled. "Allura is… Coran has it under control. You should be resting." Shiro deflected, leaning against the doorway and raising the scanner in his hand. "Coran will be needing your vitals."

Onara looked unnaturally pale, though it could have been blamed on the watery, artificial lighting. "I understand." She rose to her feet, removing her gauntlet and sliding her gloves off so Shiro could press the scanner against her wrist.

He had done it before; Coran had showed him how initially, but Onara had never been awake for it…

Shiro took Onara's arm firmly in his hand, pulling it towards him. He wasn't sure what he had been expecting when he took it, but it felt warm and firm under his fingers, all sinew and muscle. Her wrist seemed uncomfortably vulnerable, with the faintest outline of a vein creasing the surface.

He stared for a moment, their skin meeting. She shivered a little, but didn't break her composure.

At first he thought he had imagined it, but he was certain now as their eyes met. For a moment, he caught himself staring, their eyes locked on one another, breath frozen.

There was threat to this, a thrill. Shiro's heart pulsed in his throat.

"Paladin?" She inclined her head towards her wrist and Shiro blinked.

"Yes…uh…" He pressed the scanner to her wrist gently, pressing the large button on the side.

After a moment, it chimed, letting him know it was done. Shiro let go of her wrist and she withdrew it, frowning at she rubbed her thumb across the skin.

"Did I hurt you?"

"No." Onara said, reaching for her glove once more. "I fear that perhaps I am more tired than I had previously thought."

"You should rest." Shiro said, placing his hand on her shoulder. She glanced at him for just a tick; it was only a fleeting expression but Shiro understood in that moment how much trouble he was in.

His heart was in his throat and his ears burned. He was nervous, excited, and afraid all at once. He stood staring at her for an unknown amount of time.

A second? An hour? His heart was loud in his ears, his stomach roiling.

"I need to go." He managed, turning on his heel and leaving the Knight to her work. He shut the door with perhaps more urgency than he would have liked, pausing to stare down at his hand, his heart in his throat, feeling as if it would nearly choke him.

He couldn't believe the emotion that was sweeping over him as he leaned against the door. It went against everything he had come to know about himself. He had taken great pride in fighting for himself, for his identity. He had risked his career over it.

And now…was it all for nothing?

Certainly, his feelings for previous boyfriends and lovers weren't lessened any by…whatever this was…but…

Had he ever even…tried with a woman? He'd always had a preference, ever since he was a kid. He remembered holding Hayden Washburn's hand on the playground, other kids making fun of them.

A few years later, he understood as he had learned more about himself, his body. Hayden was dating a girl by then, but Shiro had felt a weird mixture of jealousy and relief at that point.

He'd never really…been particularly interested in women, but Ser Onara…

Perhaps it was simply the proximity to one another; two adults trapped on a ship, hurtling through space.

But then…why not Coran?

Briefly, Shiro entertained the thought of what it might be like to hold Coran's hand, to harbor the same, strange feelings about him as he did for Onara.

The image fell flat in his head. It just…wasn't like that between he and Coran.

Shiro shook his head, gathering his fractured thoughts and exhaling.

He could deal with this later. For now, he had to get the device back to Coran, check on the kids, maybe practice in the training room.

Anything but wrestle with these thoughts.

Sighing, he slipped the device into his belt pouch and proceeded up the hallway, delivering it promptly to Coran, who was herding Princess Allura back into her chambers.

Coran smiled when he saw the Paladin, but his face quickly changed to one of concern.

"Something troubling you, Shiro?" Coran paused after he had ensured Allura was inside her chamber and resting.

"No. Not really." The Paladin breathed, lying to himself more than he was lying to Coran. "Ser Onara is going to rest a bit more. Any news on Sendak?"

Perhaps if he focused on that, he could push away these thoughts about the Knight.

"We'll meet down in the detainment room. Pidge is working on hooking up the device that will extract Sendak's memories."

Shiro nodded, following the redhead into the deepest parts of the castle.

* * *

A/N: I just wanna write fluff and angst.

I have the whole thing plotted out but I also want to take it slow and do a good job because I feel like Dreamworks did Shiro dirty.


	10. Chapter 10

TW for mention of sexual assault. I try to be subtle and tactful about it.

I wanted to apologize for my long absence. My old computer crashed and took EVERYTHING with it, then I got a full time job so I've been writing this on my phone at work during lunch.  
It's been an adventure.

* * *

The detainment room consisted of a clean, modestly sized and dimly-lit room, lined with stasis pods that were all empty save for a single chamber lit up by a cold, blue light.

It hardly looked like a dungeon, especially not one in a ten thousand year old castle.

Shiro wasn't entirely sure what he thought it looked like, but it conjured fourth something uncomfortable in the back of his mind, causing the Paladin to grit his teeth, the impulse to flee growing like a nagging feeling in the pit of his stomach.

It was like some kind of memory that he couldn't fully recall, as though it were something locked behind a heavy door, never meant to be opened.

The other Paladins slowly piled into the dim room, forming a semicircle around the pod. Shiro crossed his arms over his chest, feeling everyone's eyes shifting uncomfortably from himself to Sendak, though no one dared break the silence.

Coran moved back and forth with the same matter-of-fact diligence as always, as if this were just another task for him.

It was. There was no reason for the redhead to find this occasion any more momentous than the rest.

The significance rested solely within Shiro's mind.

"Allright, guys, Sendak is almost all hooked up, but…I have to warn you…this technology was used to keep Altean memories alive, not to interrogate prisoners." Coran spoke with a little more care than normal, his tone just a little more serious.

Shiro exhaled slowly, trying to ignore the growing knot of dread in the pit of his stomach.

"Coran, we understand that this is not what the technology was meant for." Shiro found himself watching the other Paladins out of the corner of his eye, as if waiting for them to say or do something. "But if we can extract Sendak's memories, we can gain valuable intelligence on Zarkons troop locations."

"Yeah, and then we can just be like; 'Knock knock' 'Who's there' 'The avenging fury of Voltron, son!'" Lance's tone was cheery, as if he didn't fully grasp the gravity of the situation. Shiro bit back a wave of irritation: he understood that some of the nuances of the situation must be lost on the boy, but not quite to this level.

Pidge was pressing her face against the glass-like containment chamber, the piece that was store the Galra General's memories, like a child might look through a store window at a new toy or some other trinket.

"…So how exactly does this work?"

"As the memories are extracted, they're written bit-by-bit on individual molecules of the micro-storage strands." Coran explained, distractedly fidgeting with some of the controls on the outside of the pod.

Shiro was dimly aware of Lance making an offhand comment about storing his memories on a space ship, to which Keith retorted with a snide comment.

The Paladin exhaled, tuning out the two boys; now wasn't the time for them to be bickering, and in all reality, Shiro's attention was focused almost exclusively on the figure in the pod.

There was no room for diversions, for distractions.

Pidge continued to question Coran about the technology being used.

"So this is the same technology used to incorporate King Alfor's memories into the Castle of The Lions?"

"Precisely…though It's never been attempted before on an unwilling participant." Coran seemed mildly hesitant, his fingers flying over the hologram keyboard as he spoke, finalizing some settings before he stepped back.

The data extraction pod hummed to life, lighting the chamber in a soft, blue light as a mist seemed to form inside it.

"Uhhh…is that supposed to happen?" Hunk was watching Coran carefully, waiting for the older mans confirmation.

"Let's give it some time." Shiro interjected, forcing a calm over his voice as he crossed his arms over his chest, looking up into the face of the monster within the pod.

He wasn't certain how long he stood there, staring up at Sendak, but he could tell that, both as individuals and as a group, the kids were all losing patience.

Slowly, they began to drop off, one by one; Keith being the first to excuse himself to the training room. The last two to remain were Lance and Coran, the former getting roped into helping Coran repair the Castle.

"I'll stay." Shiro hadn't really been listening to Coran, though he wanted to at least acknowledge that he'd heard the older man say something. "Somewhere in Sendak's mind is the information about Zarkon that we need…"

"Let us know if anything happens." Lance muttered as he followed Coran out of the detainment room, hands thrust deeply into his pockets. He paused, looking back at Shiro. "Shiro?"

The boys voice jarred Shiro out of his almost trance-like state. It felt like someone had placed cold fingers on his ribcage.

"Y…you got it." Shiro's voice came out distant, almost flat. He blamed it on the acoustics of the chamber, but he knew there was more to it.

Lance hesitated, and Shiro could feel the boy's expression of doubt and concern, but neither of them said anything more.

He closed his eyes once the door slid shut behind the teen, taking a few moments to regulate his breathing, trying to bring his mind back in sync with his body.  
But there at the peripheries was Sendak, looming like some horrendous shadow in the back of his mind.

Even in stasis, Shiro subconsciously registered the Galran as a threat. Try as he might, the Paladin couldn't shake the tumultuous feeling Sendak imposed on him.  
He could feel the other man on top of him, his teeth sunk into shiro's shoulder, the sharp pain in the Paladin's abdomen spreading until he wanted to scream, to cry.

To bash the Galra generals face in…

After a few moments of the memories, of the invasion, Shiro shuddered, collecting himself and regaining some semblance of control over himself.  
He set to work, closing the gap between himself and Sendak's pod, leaning heavily on one arm as he peered inside, the coolness of the plastiglass grounding him.

His breath fogged the barrier a little, the condensation clouding his vision, only adding to the dim, nightmarish feel of the situation.

Nevertheless, Shiro knew he had to face Sendak. He had to make Sendak answer for everything the Galra General had done.

"I know you're in there, Sendak." Shiro forced a calm over his voice, though he could feel his stomach churning once more, this time anger the prevalent emotion. "I know you have all the answers."

The silence that followed was deafening. Not even the computer that Coran had hooked up to begin the memory extraction showed the slightest change.  
It was as if Sendak were little more than a corpse beneath the glass-like material. Like some mockery of a fairy-tale.

"Give them to me." Shiro's voice was little more than a harsh whisper as he leaned his left arm against the pod, staring down Sendak as the Galran stayed utterly motionless beneath the glass.

It felt almost like Sendak was taunting him, the lack of movement within the pod feeling as though it was meant for no other reason than to goad the Paladin.

There was a long, tense silence, Shiro's heart pounding in his ears. He could feel a cry building in his throat; frustration, rage, hatred.

"WHY DON'T YOU ANSWER ME?" He was surprised at his own outburst, striking the plastiglass with the side of his left fist. The pain of the impact surged through his body, grounding him temporarily and he took a moment to gather himself, the anger boiling beneath his brow.

He needed to remain calm, but…

The outburst seemed to have prompted something, the memory pod sparking with a slight purple arc as it slowly filled with mist.

There was a sense of vindication in this and, with his resolve bolstered, Shiro drew back, his eyes falling on the memory pod, a triumphant steeling flooding his senses.

"So you can hear me."

The silence was deafening once more, blood pumping in Shiro's ears. His head felt as though it was spinning, though his feet were firmly on the ground.

Was this excitement? Anger? Victory? Fear? Some amalgamation of them all?

"What was the first rank you held in Zarkon's army?" Shiro felt his voice rumble in his throat, seeming to take on a life of its own.  
A logical part of him told him that Sendak couldn't see him, couldn't hear the fear and agony and frustration in the Paladin's voice. But that primal part of him couldn't shake the idea that Sendak was fully aware of the impact he had on Shiro, aware of how much fear he instilled in the human, how much control he had over Shiro, even now.

It didn't seem right to Shiro, to have Sendak be asleep. It seemed too great of a mercy after all the General had done to him.

A flare of anger budded in Shiro's stomach, the taste of bile threatening to burn the back of his throat.

He was losing his nerve, losing his cool. He could feel anger building up inside him once more.

The overwhelming rage that flooded him also terrified him; it just…wasn't him. It wasn't who he was.

But still…

If Sendak was allowed to torture him, to destroy his mind, his body in ways that still woke the Paladin up at night, should Sendak not have been awake for this?

Was there no justice in the universe?

Shiro closed his eyes, finding his center and inhaling slowly.

No, he wasn't like this. This wasn't him. He had to stay calm, keep his cool. Now wasn't the time to lose focus on the true essence of himself.

There was too much riding on this; the kids, Coran, Allura, Onara…the entire universe seemed to rest on Shiro's tense shoulders.

Steeling his nerves, he continued the interrogation.

"Where did you find the Red Lion?" He paused, the glow within the memory pod subsiding a little. He swallowed back a twinge of irritation. "What is Zarkon's greatest weakness?"

The sound of the ventilation system sputtering for a moment made Shiro start, his muscles clenching, pain blooming between his shoulder blades.

He stared at the form within the pod, furrowing his brow.

"What makes you think you can defeat Zarkon?"

The voice…it was cold, lethal; unmistakable.

The voice that haunted Shiro's nightmares.

The Paladin's eyes locked back on the figure within the pod, unsure of Sendak had spoken, or if it was a trick of his mind set off by the intensity of the situation.

He wanted to run, to slam the door behind him and seal it shut. To never look at Sendak ever again.

Instead, he gathered himself, looking squarely at Sendak. The Paladin shifted his stance, leaning against the pod once more.

"If you were to attack Zarkon, where would you strike."

"Why strike at all when you can join him?"

Shiro felt his veins turn to ice and he stepped back from the pod, bracing his feet as his head swam.

He had been staring directly into Sendak's face and yet…

That voice…

For a brief moment, Shiro swore Sendak was awake, staring down at him, his face pulled into a cruel, familiar sneer. Shiro stumbled backwards, nearly losing his  
balance, but still the figure remained motionless inside the pod, eyes closed as if in slumber.

It felt like someone had doused the Paladin in cold water, the shock running violently through his body as he felt his breath come up short in his chest.

It was just a hallucination.

A trick of his own broken, paranoid mind.

Sendak stood, motionless, his face as passive as it could ever be.

The Paladin swallowed hard, steeling his nerves as he forced himself to look directly at the man before him. He had to confront this head on, but fear seemed to grip every atom, every particle of his being.

It didn't feel like he was inside his own body, but rather watching himself from the outside. He didn't feel real.

"We're the same, you and me…"

"No." Shiro's voice was weak, his body shaking and his head swimming. He wanted to scream, despair locking in the back of his throat.

"…both part of the Galra Empire…" Sendak's voice was poison in Shiro's veins.

"No! I'm not…I'm not like you!" Shiro felt his knees buckling, his voice cracking. He wasn't. He couldn't be. He shouldn't…

This wasn't real…

"Just look at you." Sendak's voice seemed to roar like a flame. "Look at your hand…You're nothing. Broken."

Shiro felt bile roiling inside, burning his throat as he clutched his hands to his ears.  
He was like a child frantically saying 'I can't hear you', but this game was far more serious. He didn't want to hear what was coming next from the General, but he knew what was  
going to be said. Try as he might, he couldn't block out the voice that violated his consciousness.

"I broke you myself…and you enjoyed it…" Sendak's voice seemed to rise, filling the chamber as Shiro clasped his hands over his ears, shaking his head.

He felt weak and powerless, memories flooding back; pain, pleasure, fear. He hadn't enjoyed it, but his body had. Perhaps…a part of him had wanted it.  
No...no, he hadn't. It was biology, not him...

"The others don't know what you know. They haven't seen what you have seen…You'll never be one of them… You will never defeat Zarkon… I have already defeated you…"

"No! Stop!" Shiro's voice was desperate and pleading. He hated the way it shook, the way it cracked and broke with each inflection.

"Do you really think a monster like you could ever be a Voltron Paladin?"

It was as if a floodgate opened in the back of Shrio's mind, unleashing a fresh wave of memories from his time within Zarkon's arena. His hands were stained red with alien blood, his soul black with his sins.

"STOP IT!" Shiro's voice broke as he screamed, his entire body shaking violently, hot tears blurring his vision.

Unthinking, he rushed forward, slamming his fist against the release button.

In a flash, Sendak was gone and there was nothing but the empty dock where the pod had sat but moments before.  
Shiro collapsed on the floor near the dock, tears flowing freely down his face as he struggled to catch his breath, his chest heaving and his heart pounding.

It felt like he'd been punched in the stomach, his mind reeling as he struggled to regain control.

He was entirely numb, his head spinning and his heart pounding harshly.

Cowering against the wall, he covered his face, his hands shaking violently as he struggled to pull himself out of the trap within his own mind.

"Paladin?" He could hear footsteps coming towards him, but he didn't register if the voice was real or not. If Sendak could torment him without speaking, who else could hold such power over him?

He felt hands on his shoulders, firm and strong, two arms in pale white armor extending around him, turning him to look at him.

Shiro's vision was blurred, his eyes struggling to adjust to the brightness of her armor. He tensed initially, but after a moment, he felt his entire body relax, slumping against the Altean.

In his head, there was nothing except pain, but his body sagged with relief.

"Paladin, I am here. It is only me." Onara's pale eyes bored into his own as she carefully touched his hands, bracing her fingers firmly around his. "No harm will befall you."

"I had to…" He choked dryly, looking up at her helplessly. She had taken her gloves off, her hands wrapped around his. The warm, skin on skin contact making him dizzy but conveying a degree of safety that caused a hot, damp feeling to spread across his cheeks.

"Shiro." The sound of his name coming from her lips was enough to shock him back to the present. His body was still reacting, his heart in his ears, but his mind was there. "All will be well, Paladin. Just focus on my voice."

Shiro closed his eyes as she placed his hands in her palms, running her warm fingers across his.

Hot tears continued to roll down his face, but the anger and fear were slowly fading away and turning into embarrassment and shame.

How long had she been there? Had she heard Sendak, too? Or had she just stood idle as she listened to the ravings of a madman?

"Shiro, look at me." The Knight said gently. "Breathe. Gently now." She took his human hand, placing it over her left breast and holding it there a moment so he could match her breath. "Slowly now, I am here. I am right here, my…Shiro…"

He inhaled, closing his eyes for a moment, half expecting the Knight to suddenly melt away, leaving only a cold, empty silence and his own consciousness.

But she remained, kneeling before him calmly until he felt himself gain control once more as he let himself focus on the feeling of his hand splayed against the cool carapace of her armor.

The action of her placing his hand on her chest didn't even strike Shiro as strange or inappropriate until his mind had settled enough to let the embarrassment sink in, and he hesitated, his eyes meeting her for one brief, terrifying moment.

He was met with an expression of gentleness and concern, her fingers wrapping around his own as she pulled his hand away, reaching up and wiping stray tears away with her thumb.

"Dry your eyes now, dear Paladin."

Onara hesitated for a moment, a flicker of fear and confusion etching her features before she withdrew her hand, rising to her feet and tugging him up with her.  
They stood for a moment, Shiro staring down at her, his heart in his ears and their hands clasped around one anothers. Onara's eyes were wide, her full lips parted in an expression that Shiro couldn't quite pinpoint.

It was almost...awe?

"The children." She said after a moment, diverting her eyes to the door, her tone careful. "I do not mean to excite you further, but I fear they may be in some sort of danger."

It felt again like he was going to lose his balance, but Onara kept a hand firmly on his lower back.

"Why didn't you say something?" Shiro felt a fresh wave of panic, though Onara didn't look at him, simply withdrawing her hand, her expression quite solemn.

"Because we are stronger as a team and I do not know what precisely is wrong." She led them out into the corridor, their footsteps echoing down the empty hall. The lights flickered eerily around them, some parts of the hall bathed in absolute blackness, lending to the deeply unsettled feeling. It was evident that somethign was going horribly wrong with the ship.

"It would appear that the ship is…malfunctioning."

She trailed off, not looking at him as they ran down the hallway. And eerie feeling seemed to permeate the darkness, the Paladin's skin prickling. It felt like they were being watched by something he couldn't quite see.

There was a flash of silver, like a mist, that Shiro spotted out of the corner of his eye. When he turned sharply, it was gone.

Sendak? No...he was gone...

"That the ship is what?" Shiro forced his usual calm tone, slowing to a halt just shy of a dimmed bend in the hallway. "How?"

"I know not… but-"

She was cut short by an outburst from up the hall as he saw the kids rushing towards them, Coran in tow. Shiro felt a cold wave of relief sweep over him as he saw that they were seemingly all right, if not a bit rattled as the teens crowded around the pair.

They all immediately began talking at once, shouting over the top of each other in panicked, rushed tones, shoving each other out of the way to get to Onara and Shiro.

"We were attacked by food goo!"

"And the gravity turned off." Pidge added, almost in the Knights face, as much as the petite girl could be.

"Well I was locked in a stasis pod-! Coran was there, he saw the whole thing!"

"Now hold on just a tick…" The redhead tried to interject, but it was hopeless.

"Yeah well a robot tried to kill me-!" Keith's façade was almost visibly shaken, and the fear in Lance's eyes was tangible.

"I got caught in the airlock!" Lance sounded out of breath; his voice somewhat higher in his panicked state. Shockingly, Keith chose not to mock the other boy for it.

"The castle's haunted!"

"Slow down, Paladins…" Onara's face paling all of the sudden as Hunk shouted his suspicions. "Please. I…"

"Alright, one at a time, guys. What's going on?" Shiro took the lead, using Onara's visible distress as an anchor point to find his own voice. Her dismay and instability bolstered him, giving him the daring to speak up.

"Where is the Princess?" Onara said suddenly, her eyes widening as she took stock of each of the Paladins, seeming to look them over to insure they were all physically all right. Pidge's face was pressed gently in between her hands as the Knight turned and looked at Shiro.

The Altean's face was pale, her eyes wide with fear.

As if on cue, an alarm rang from above, breaking their focus and flooding the chamber with a flashing red light.

The color drained from Coran's face as he looked up.

"The Castle is attempting a wormhole jump!"

"But Allura is the only one who can…" Shiro looked up at the flashing warning lights, a projection of statistics flashing overhead, glowing warnings flickering in Altean.  
Without another word, Onara turned on her heel, taking off down the hallway towards the navigation chamber, Lance and Coran on her heels, her cloak billowing in her wake.

Shiro exchanged a concerned glance with Pidge before they, too, followed the two Alteans to the navigation room.


	11. Chapter 11

The entire viewscreen was lit up in a blazing light as a red giant appeared with a flash, the wormholes purple light fading around them as the ship moved slowly towards the dying star.

Allura stood at the helm, her hands hovering gently above the navigation podiums, her gaze serene and distant. She stood motionless and dazed, as if in a trance, her dressing gown fluttering softly in the breeze of the ventilation system.

The visage was almost dreamlike, but dreamlike in the sense that it would soon dissolve into a nightmare.

Beside the princess stood a hologram projection of a tall, white haired Altean man whom Shiro had come to know as King Alfor. He was leaning in to his daughter, speaking quietly in her ear in a loving, gentle tone that felt like a punch to the gut to the paladin.

"Princess! What are you doing?" Coran's strained voice seemed to break the tense silence, cracking with stress and emotion.

Onara stood motionless beside the redhead, her pale eyes wide and fixed on the dead King's image, the color draining from her face.

"We're going back to Altea…we're going home…" Allura's tone was distant, wistful, her face perfectly serene. "Father is taking us…"

His blood running cold, Shiro looked over at Onara for just a moment before the Knight sprang forward, only to be sent skidding backwards by an invisible barrier. Hunk caught her with ease, his hands grasping the Knight's shoulders firmly.

"STAY AWAY FROM MY DAUGHTER." The King's voice boomed, echoing through the chamber. His angry face projecting thinly onto every available screen.

"Uh…" Hunk's eyes were wide as he looked from the Princess to the Knight, and then back to the King.

Onara's expression was lethal, angry.

"You are not the real King Alfor!" She spat, shrugging Hunks hands off of her and stepping forward. "How dare you stand in his place! How dare you!"

"SILENCE!" The hologram boomed, turning towards the Knight, the expression on his face flickering, seeming to shift rapidly back and forth between one of fear and anger.

Onara drew her weapon, the hum of energy from the quintessence blade seeming to fill the chamber with a power that raised the hairs on the back of Shiro's neck. Each of the children exchanged a frightened glance.

"Ser Onara!" Lance interjected. "You can't, you have to be careful! The Princess!"

"The corruption from Sendaks' crystal must have spread to King Alfor's artificial intelligence! It's taken over!" Coran's voice was cracking, his eyes wide with horror as he looked from the Princess to the King's hologram.

Pidge's eyes were focused on the star just beyond the viewscreen, looming incrementally closer with each passing moment. She reached up, habitually adjusting her glasses. "And we're headed right for that red giant…"

"Allura! Wake up!" Shiro did everything within his power to conjure his most commanding tone, hoping to snap the young girl out of her trance-like state.

"Father…I can see it…I can see Altea…" Allura's eyes were unfocused, the ambient light of the star outside giving the Princess's face an almost unreal quality. The hologram turned, his expression shifting to a gentle one as he looked at the teen.

"Wake up, Princess! What you are seeing is not real." Onara shouted, her voice fraught with desperation as she swung her weapon into the invisible barrier, setting off an arc of energy that caused the ships light to flicker.

Beyond the barrier, Shiro could see the illusion of a vast valley surrounded by distant blue foothills. Flowers ranging from a pale pink to a deep fuchsia punctuated the greenery and Allura leaned forward, plucking one of the trillium in her gentle brown hand.

The expression on her face was so soft, so sad and sincere that it felt like Shiro's heart would break just looking at her.

"The Juniberries…the most exquisite flower of all…" her voice was quiet, brimming with nostalgic sorrow.

"Allura, you must listen to us!" Coran reached forward, grabbing Onaras arm to signal her to stop her futile assault on the barrier. The Knight was breathing heavily, her face dewy with sweat from the exertion of quintessence. She was already pushing her limits, there was no telling if she may collapse again.

"Father… Is this real?" Allura's voice was soft and uncertain, desperate for confirmation. She clearly wanted so badly for it to be true, but Shiro could hear the shadow of doubt flicker in her voice.

"Of course it's real, my dear girl. The flower you're touching…it is real…" The Kings voice was lethal in its sincerity.

"But where is the scent of the Juniberries?" Coran entreated, hoping to pull the Princess out of her fugue.

Allura's brows knit for a moment, realization slowly dawning across her face as she raised the flower to her nose, her expression sad and desperate.

"Huh? I don't…" Her eyes suddenly shifted, her voice growing strong as she looked up through the viewscreen. "That's not Altea."

"No shit!" Keith snapped. Shiro grit his teeth.

"When that star goes supernova, it'll take out the entire system and us with it!" Pidge elbowed the Red Paladin in the ribs, pushing forward through the group. "Allura, you have to reset the course and get us out of here."

Allura turned to the King, her face calm despite the fear in her eyes.

With a calculated, swift movement, the girl placed her hands back onto the navigation pedestals, white light arcing for a moment, an explosion of force sending the young princess stumbling backwards and through the shimmering barrier that stood between her and the paladins.

Acting instinctively, Shiro rushed forward to catch the girl, stopping her from falling backwards onto the floor.

There was a moment of tense silence as Allura gathered herself, exchanging a wordless glance with Shiro before turning back towards the image of her father. She was trembling a little, with rage or fear, Shiro did not know.

"Father, please! I beg of you to turn this ship around. If we don't do it soon, we will all perish!" Allura spoke with a rising desperation, her entire body leaning toward the hologram, as if to entreat it to reverse it's actions.

"I know." Alfor said calmly, his eyes full of a strange sort of kindness. "That is my intention."

"Princess! You cannot reason with King Alfor's artificial intelligence! It is not…" Onara's voice broke. "It is not him! It is not your father!"

"But it is his memories!" Allura turned to the Knight for a moment, an expression of grief pulling at her mouth. Onara returned with an equally stricken expression and Allura set her jaw, squared her shoulders, and turned back to the hologram.

"Why father? Why do you seek to destroy us?" the dreamlike state of the Princesses voice was no more. There was a tone of determination now.

"Don't you see, dear daughter? Zarkon has been ruling for ten thousand years. He can never be defeated."

"But we must continue to fight. We must try."

"Fight for what?" There was a flicker of bitterness and anger in the King's voice. "It is all over for Altea. You don't have to live a lifetime of war. You can be with me, and the rest of your people."

Onara turned, making eye contact with Shiro, her eyes full of distress and frustration. It was as if she were pleading with him to do something, anything.

Shiro suddenly felt a wave of helplessness wash over him: what could he do?

It was as if his inaction sparked a courage in the Knight and she stepped forward, deactivating her weapon.

"Your Majesty, please! With Princess Allura at the helm, we may yet stop Zarkon." Onara's voice was strained, desperate at this point, though she spoke concisely. "The Paladins…Coran…we are all here to put an end to this."

"Father, Ser Onara is right!" Allura's voice seemed to go stronger with her retainer's words. "With the Paladins, we will stop Zarkon! Somewhere in there, you must want that to happen?"

Alfor's AI seemed to seize for a moment, the face flickering and glitching between one of kindness and one of fear. The entire form alternated between being distorted, a fight between the corruption of the crystal and the King's true memories.

"Allura, my A.I. has been corrupted. You must disconnect my power source." For a brief moment, there was an expression of clarity on the King's face, and Shiro understood that this was the true face of the king.

There was a glitch of static that jolted through the hologram yet again, and the kings face shifted once more into the blank, sickening expression of corrupted AI.

"We can stroll across the Blossom Canyon every morning, just like we used to. Remember how much you loved that?"

Allura's eyes were wide, glassy with tears as she stared up at her father. The grief that permeated the room was palpable, Onara burying her face in her elbow to wipe her eyes.

This gesture seemed to steel the Princesses nerves.

"I remember. I'll see you soon, Father." She turned to the group "I've got to get into the A.I. chamber to disconnect my father's power source manually."

"But that means losing King Alfor forever!" Coran cast Onara a tearful glance, as if begging the Knight to dissent, but the Knights face was set with a grim resignation that told Shiro that she had already made up her mind to follow Allura's lead.

It was an expression Shiro knew well from the Arena; fatal resignation, no matter the cost.

Allura turned to the group. "Paladins, get to your Lions! I need you to slow the Castle's descent into the star. Ser Onara, I need you to come with me. You're to serve as my second in case anything happens."

"As you wish, Princess." Onara saluted, casting a concerned glance over at Shiro for a fleeting moment.

"I can try to override the system to open the hangars." Coran seemed sobered by the Princesses commands, turning towards the door and flipping open the access panel.

"Don't do this!" King Alfors AI glitched, his tone one of a desperate sort of anger, before his face shifted again. "You must."

The hologram continued to glitch back and forth even as the Paladins followed Coran through the hallways as he worked to manually override the exits.

Shiro's stomach twisted as he watched Allura and Onara disappear into the shadows of the corridor. He felt almost as if this may not work, and they needed Allura if there was any hope of getting the ship away from that dying star.

All the while, the King's voice was ringing out through the halls, caught in a fight with his corruption, his hologram flickering dangerously in and out of the shadows as the kids made their way into their respective lions.

As they took off into the vacuum of space, Shiro wondered if this would be it, if this would be the end of the Altean race.

He wondered briefly if he should make the call to preserve their lives if Allura and Onara failed to disengage Alfors AI, but he shook those thoughts off.

They would get through this. He knew they would.

They had to.

The Lions locked themselves underneath the slowly descending castle, using every ounce of power they could to slow the ancient machine down.

Shiro could feel all the muscles in his jaw clench, his teeth grinding together as he felt the weight of the castle fall upon the Black Lion's shoulder, the creak and groan of metal on metal sending jolts through the Paladins spine.

He could feel the heat from the star burning outside, the radiation making the Lions sensors scream in warning protest.

It felt like his breath was locked in his chest, his stomach tight and twisted.

"It's no use! We can't slow it!" Pidge's voice was strained.

"Keep going guys, we gotta try." Shiro didn't quite believe his own words, but he had to at least try to put out a false calm.

Then, after a few tense minutes, the entire Castle gave a tremendous shudder before the pressure suddenly relented, causing the Lions to reel from the sudden shift.

"Paladins, pull back to the Castle. Return to your hangars at once!" Shiro had expected Allura to call them back, but it was Onaras face that flickered unsteadily across his field of vision.

"Where's Allura?" Lance's tone was urgent, almost suspicious of the Knight.

Shiro fought back a brief tinge of irritation at the boy; Onara had more than proven herself, though Shiro could hardly blame him.

"She is alright." Onara moved aside, showing the Princess standing at the navigation controls. "But we must get out of here."

"You don't have to tell me twice." Hunk's voice was cut with static, the growing radiation of the star beginning to impact the communication system.

* * *

A/N: hoping for Friday nights/Saturday mornings to update regularly. Stay tuned to find out if my dumb, ADD ass can do it.

on a sidenote, I've started taking my coffee black. What is the world coming to?


	12. Chapter 12

In the days that followed the deactivation of King Alfors AI, everything seemed to Shiro to be in limbo.

Princess Allura was finally resting, Coran was splitting his time between running diagnostics on the Castle and helping Pidge and Hunk work to decode what scant memories had been extracted from Sendak.

A part of Shiro wanted to help, to be involved in every step of the process. His need to control the data, the narrative. The truth was, part of him was afraid of what Pidge might find.

There was no telling which exact memories had been extracted from the Galra General.

Pidge was formidable, this was undisputed by anyone that knew her, but she was still a kid.

Shiro sighed, leaning back as he looked out the viewscreen of the navigation chamber.

His rational mind understood that he needed to let this go, that fretting over it would only lend Sendak more power. It would impact Shiro's leadership.

Looking out across the stars, nearly unobstructed views reached out before him: an endless abyss of galaxies and constellations entirely foreign to the Paladin.

There was a simultaneous comfort and abject horror in all of this. On one hand, he seemed small, his troubles insignificant in comparison. He was but a speck of dust, bathed in the light of long-dead stars.

But the horror, the unknown, and the sheer vastness...how many of these stars were central to systems? How many were Occupied Galra Territory? How much more of this were they to endure, and would they die before they had a chance to return to Earth?

He closed his eyes, inhaling slowly, trying to reign in the feeling of dismay and insignificance that washed over him.

Shiro had long ago realized that the Earth was far behind his past, and the likelihood of his return was slim, if at all. It had been nothing short of a miracle he had made it back at all, and in him this had planted some kind of seed of hope.

Maybe the future wasn't so uncertain. Maybe they would make it through this. Make it back to Earth. He had already beat the odds once.

But could he really do it again?

The door behind him opened and Shiro started slightly, ripped from his thoughts as he turned his head to see Onara standing quietly in the doorway.

Her face bathed in ambient light, starlight seeming to rest on her high cheekbones, her face pensive and drawn into a slight frown.

She was in what, Shiro supposed, was civilian clothing; a simple long tunic and breeches cut from a blue-grey cloth with little ornamentation. It was a far cry from her bright white armor, though she looked no less noble.

"Forgive the intrusion, Paladin." She raised her hand to her chest in a salute.

"Please." Shiro gestured to the empty space beside him. "How is the Princess?"

"Resting well now. We have given her an infusion of bark of the Helygen tree to help her rest easier and to help her with some of her injuries. The entire situation has been quite an ordeal for her." The Knight said, sitting beside him, her shoulders slumping in exhaustion. Her face wore a sorrow that Shiro couldn't help but feel himself.

It had been an ordeal for more than Allura; they had all been deeply impacted, and Coran and Onara were the two that were soldiering through the most without addressing their grief.

He didn't know how it would impact them in the long run. For all he knew, they were both ticking time bombs.

And for Onara, the death of the other Knights weighed heavily on her as well. She had been dealt a series of blows, and yet she refused to let the gravity show, which worried the Paladin.

The bottom line was keeping the kids safe. And yes, she had proven herself to be trustworthy, but to what extent?

"How's Coran handling…" he gestured vaguely, a slow intake from Onara cutting him short.

Onara hesitated. "Grieving. In his own way. He has always preferred to stay busy, though."

"What about you?"

The Knights pale eyes shifted, staring straight ahead, a tension forming lines around her mouth. There was tangible, unexpressed grief underneath her veil of serenity.

"That is where I have an advantage over Coran and The Princess." She said carefully, looking down at her hands in her lap. Shiro frowned, following her gaze downward and studying her hands, the rise of the pads of her palms; calluses and scars and lines. "I witnessed the destruction of Altea myself. Convoy ON92 was the last of our battalion to slip through the Galra blockade before the planet was destroyed. We knew there was nothing to return to, that the interim battle had been lost. I have the advantage of that knowledge. The shock has long ago worn away."

There was a silence that fell between them. Shiro was at a loss for how to move forward. He had so many questions, but they all just seemed to form a knot in his throat.

"I'm sorry." he said finally, placing his hands firmly on the dias behind him, the cool metal surface grounding him.

Onara shook her head. "Do not." Her voice came out uncharacteristically frustrated and she stopped, looking at him. "Forgive me, I do not mean to be so harsh."

"I understand. I don't know if I could...given the situation...it must be a lot to handle " Stumbling over his words, Shiro instead placed one hand gently on her knee, patting it in a way that seemed almost condescending, but the Knight seemed to ease a little at the contact.

Shiro couldn't imagine being in her shoes, watching as Earth, as everything he knew and loved, was blown into oblivion.

The thought made his throat tighten, memories of earth flooding back as if released from behind a blockade.

He didn't want to think about it. About losing everyone and everything.

But in some way, had he not already? Adam had left him, Earth was far behind. What was left there for him?

He inhaled sharply, reaching up and wiping his hand across his face, as if to dispel the memories and the emotions that were threatening his peace of mind.

And here Onara was, handling just as much, if not more, with measured grace in spite of losing everything.

But, this was probably why she had achieved Knighthood to begin with: an ability to remain calm and composed. To remain loyal, even at great personal loss.

What had she lost, he wondered. Her entire planet and homeland… friends, family...lovers?

"How did you...get into this?" Shiro asked, eager to dispel his thoughts that were quickly causing a knot of discomfort to spread in his stomach. He leaned forward, drawing

his knees up and resting his elbows on them. "What made you want to become a Knight?"

Onara was silent for a moment, licking her lower lip as she formulated a reply.

"It was not a choice, but a duty served out of loyalty. To Voltron, to Altea, and lastly to King Alfor. We served him in the war, before Voltron was created, we helped unify outlying systems and bring peace. It is said the Alteans are..were...known for their diplomatic abilities. It was only after the rise of Zarkon's Empire that the Knights came about, we-"

Shiro knit his brow. It felt like a stock answer.

"But what made you want to be a Knight?" He interjected.

Onara stared straight ahead, her mouth dropping into a genuinely sorrowful expression that made Shiro's limbs feel like iron. "Please do not think ill of King Alfor or of my people, you must understand what had to be done." She began, her tention visible, mixed with an expression of sadness and nostalgia. It seemed as though the distant, professional facade was gone momentarily.

She seemed unnervingly...human...

"I was very young when I came to be in the court of King Alfor" Even her intonation was different, formality dropping ever-so-slightly. "My mother had been the Chieftain of the Odanata tribe, my brother the strongest hunter, and I acted as tribute to the ongoing peace and cooperation between the capitol and those tribes that lived above the Sapmi...the arctic circle."

Shiro shifted, a discomfort spreading over him as he processed the information. He tried to keep this mind open; it was another world, another culture. It was not his place to cast judgement, but something about this made him uncomfortable.

Offering a child as tribute? It seemed almost like a hostage situation, rather than one of diplomacy.

"I can see that you must think this is terribly barbaric and I assure you that I volunteered." Onara offered, turning to him, her tone and expression earnest, if not a bit frantic and embarrassed. "Do not think ill of my people or of King Alfor and his court, I beg of you. I willingly left, in service to the Odanata and as a bridge to ongoing peace. It was King Alfor who took me in, almost as a father would a child, who saw my potential as a warrior. I am grateful to him and glad to have the honor of being of service to my people."

Shiro nodded, smiling a little at her eagerness for clarification. It still made him uncomfortable; she had only been just a kid…

He tried to imagine himself in her shoes, what he would have done as a child. Would he have had the strength?

They sat in silence for a little longer, watching the stars drift past the viewscreen before Onara spoke again, her voice soft, tinted with curiosity.

"Much must have changed since...I am ashamed to admit that even after heavy briefing and remote studies, I did not know humans were capable of space travel."

Shiro actually found himself letting out a short, bemused laugh. "Yeah, I guess a bit has changed since you were asleep. It's been.." he stopped himself. He didn't need to reiterate how long it had been. "It's been a while."

Onara nodded, looking back out the viewscreen, a smile creasing her eyes, dimpling her cheeks.

Shiro felt a knot from in his chest and he looked hastily away, not liking the way her expression made his stomach flutter.

"I...hope I can make it to Earth one day. To complete my mission, of course. But... I admit, the thought of it fascinates me. Humans fascinate me. We are so alike..."

Shiro wasn't sure how to respond to the last comment. Sometimes he forgot that Onara, Coran, and Allura weren't human. Her statement was true, but there was something awkward about pointing it out.

"Yeah." He said, trying to laugh off the feeling of discomfort the comment had instilled in him, to quiet the uncomfortable stirring in his stomach.

Why did it bother him so much? Why was he so uncomfortable all of the sudden?

Onara stood, dusting off her backside. "I do suppose I must get back to work. Thank you for indulging me. The distraction from my duties was welcome, I do hope the sentiment is mutual."

"Oh course it was." Shiro followed suit, rising to his feet with an eagerness that surprised even himself. "Are you helping Coran?"

All at once, her demeanor shifted yet again, and that professional, solemn facade fell on her once more, her body visibly stiffening.

"Princess Allura and I have come to an agreement that the Knights should be put to rest at long last. I have been making arrangements as such." she brushed her lips with her knuckles, her eyes cast downward. "It is a tedious task, but it is a burden I bear with honor."

"Let me help." Shiro inclined his head towards her, softening his voice, his expression, and placing his hand on her muscular shoulder. "It's the least I can do. After everything you have done for us."


End file.
